Fate: Player Online Redux
by SocialistBukharin
Summary: The Aftermath of the Fourth Holy Grail War saw the Great Fire of Fuyuki killing innocents, but what if something inside the Grail didn't appreciate this and tried to repent for the horrible disaster. Follow the journey of Shirou Emiya, bearing the abilities of the Gamer, as he shake the laws of the Moonlit World. IT'S REWORK TIME!
1. It all started among flames and ashes

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

**Prologue: **** It all started among flames and ashes...**

It had all happened without a reason.

At first it was a nice day to spend with his family, blurred faces smiling as they walked him around the beautiful city that was Fuyuki.

He could remember the pleasant touch of a sibling, of his father and... his mother.

The boy blinked as tears started to flow once more from his eyes as he continued to run through the rubbles of the destruction that had teared him away from his own family.

His chest was hurting as were his legs, too much strained by the unexpected need to escape from the danger created by the flames that were even now hungrily burning through the city without control, without restraint and.. without mercy.

He had hoped for a firefighter, _an adult_ to save him out of that horrifying scene that not even in his darkest nightmare he had ever seen.

It was approaching, the child mused, the _pain_ was approaching.

He tried to deftly move around the obstacles made from the remainings of cars and buildings' walls, finally hopeful that he was close to reach a safer place.

Away from the tragedy behind him, from the screams of people dying around him as he tried to not fall to the heat of the ruthless fire.

Yet this.. this wasn't a tale meant to end happily.

That very realisation struck the moment he felt his body shift and land on the ground, one of his legs tripping over some embed rocks that he had not noticed in his rush.

He was done, the boy considered somberly. The flames weren't going to relinquish the chase and they were incredibly close to where he was.

It was his end that he was going to witness, to feel, and soon he turned around.

Dying embers moved to the sky where the most terrifying thing cruelly slammed onto his soul.

The round circle of darkness, the origin of this unnatural flame.

It felt calling, demanding him to concede his life for.. something. _Something he couldn't know about_.

His lungs started to slowly relax as the child kept still in his defeated moment, mourning his last happy memories, mourning the end of his life.

The screams slowly disappeared as he went numb.

He was dying and nobody was going to save him and thus, in this final hour of his short existance, the boy closed his eyes and let his consciousness slip in that hell on earth.

_"This is not the end of your life, child. You shall live to see your future unfold." _A candid voice quietly and melodiously crashed the cacophony of death and sorrow around him. "_I bestow a gift to you. Use it to protect, to save the lives of those who are suffering."_

His eyes opened at those words that sounded so beautiful and inspiring but the child saw no one around here.

He thought this was just a silly trick of his mind as dangerous smoke started to fill his lungs, causing him to cough loudly.

His vision spiralled once more in the darkness, this time it was his little body uncapable of keeping up with the pain, with the horror that he was suffering... **but he couldn't give up now.**

As his mind slowly started to shut down, his arm stretched up, his palm open and waiting for someone to hold him, to save him from this agony or to comfort him in this last moments of hurt.

He felt it, a strong hand grasped his arm but it was not the soft and light touch he had expected from the hallucination, the voice of the kind woman.

_One last time_, he begged to himself and.. he saw him.

The man had short, black hair, his face rough and partly covered by smoke and ashes, hiding parts of his features as it all disappeared in that set of clothes with such dark themes, a long coat covering his black suit, shirt and tie.

What surprised the young child was the man's eyes as he looked at him.

As tears flowed and fell on his younger visage, his charcoals lacked any sort of lights, as if the man was actually a corpse walking. Defeated by life.. but not by the flames around them.

"Thank God, you are alive.."

The boy closed his eyes as a strange yellow light started to warmly caress his soul, too tired to deal with that unnatural predicament with his exhausted mind.

A perpetual darkness filled his dreams, a soft lulling of a caring woman keeping all the horrible nightmares regarding that terrible experience away.

The lullaby.. he couldn't remember hearing it anywhere in his life, yet it filled him with a warmth that made those weird sounds turn into something lovely and caring, as if a mother was trying to protect him from the dark, real world that he had just passed away from.

Sadly, all of this disappeared once as he woke up from possibly the best dream he will ever experience.

He started to feel the weakness that had been there during his last, few moments before fainting, but it felt mitigated, soothed somehow.

His eyes opened slowly and he found himself laying in a bed with warm, white covers and a soft pillow below his head.

The room was blank and almost empty, just like any classic Hospital room. He was alone in that room as the entire line of beds coming from his left and right were unoccupied.

As he processed his current situation, something else caught his attention as he noticed a blue-like light over his face.

A blue screen was hovering just in front of him with white words written on it.

Was he still hallucinating?

**[Your HP and MP had been fully replenished]**

_What?_

_What was that.. and why it was in front of me?_

The blue screen disappeared but another one, this time green, appeared on its place.

**[A newer, Gamer Life]**

**Greeting child and good norning to the first day of your new, improved life!**

**After having been forced to witness such horrible tragedy, a greater force has decided to gift you with the power of living your life like a Videogame.**

**A Gamer is someone that has the possibility to exceed the limitations of mortality and become more than everyone has ever dreamt.**

**Your real limits? Your willpower to accomplish the impossible!**

**Your incredible dreams? You will achieve them in a matter of time!**

**Your long journey to become the greatest has just started!**

**Good luck!**

Once again, the green screen closed and was replaced by another blue one.

**[Status]**

**Name: Unknown**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Level 1 - Exp: 0.00%**

**Health Points (HP) : 100**

**Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 2**

**INT: 4**

**AGI: 2**

**WIS: 4**

**VIT: 2**

**CHA: 5**

**LUK: 10**

**Skills**

**Gamer Body (LVL Max.) - Congratulations, your body had been turned into one influenced by the rules of the Game Module. This Skill is present in all Users from the very beginning.**

**Unbreakable Willpower (LVL Max.) - The hardships of your life had been making you stronger than the average human being. Risk of Possession and Mind Control are reduced by the 75%.**

**Noble Soul (LVL Max.) - Having experienced the worst trauma, you know the pain and sufferings of others. Your Soul is brave and determined enough to let you become whatever you wish.**

**Beginners' Luck (Non-Level Skill) - This temporary Skill will add a EXP multiplier related to LUK for Skills and LVLs. Expiration Level: LVL 10.**

That was something he had certainly expected. Wait, why is name was not written there? And why he could remember anything before the Fire.

**[The Trauma you have experienced during the Great Fire has blocked almost every memory prior to the disaster.]**

The child was speecheless. He just had lost more than he had thought he had lost in that Fire.

He couldn't remember his parents' faces, his friends, everything else...

**[Warning! A set of actions has triggered a new Quest]**

**-Discovering the Past-**

**Time Limit: Unlimited**

**Your Trauma has seriously damaged all your memories of your past life. Find any hints or documents that will help your memories to come back.**

**Reward**

**-Your Past Name-**

**-500.000 EXP-**

**-?-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Your Past Life is forever forgotten-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

The child immediately pressed **Yes **and nodded to himself.

There was a strong probability to return to his family once more and he wasn't going to refuse this opportunity.

In a certain way, he felt a bit thankful towards this new development.

Another screen popped out.

**[Your gratefulness has been noted and a new skill has been unlocked]**

**-Observe (LVL. MAX)-**

**Essential to any Gamer, Observe is useful to determine the stats or the history behind friends or foes. **

**This Skill has a limit: Observing people with a higher level than yours (at least 10) will have their informations immensely reduced.**

His surprise to know about that this 'Game' was capable of hearing his thoughts was cut off when the door of his room opened.

The same man that had saved him from the Fire entered the room.

The two stared at each other and the child noticed how, even though the man seemed impassive, he seemed to relax seeing him, as if relieved of seeing him still alive.

What had happened to this man to make him so much empty and distant?

His musing soon were answered by an explanation that he certainly would have never dreamt about.

The child was soon going to be pulled into the Moonlight World and he was going to become an important part of it.

The legend of Shirou Emiya has just began in this World of Magic and Lore.

**AN**

**I... I own you all an apology. After finishing Arc III of FPO, I noticed how much I screwed up in the overall situation.**

**I had plans to rewrite this with the help of some BetaReaders, but decided against it as the work was... **_**absurdly insane to accomplish**_**.**

**I had (and still have) an incredibly serious schedule and several projects beyond my writing time, damaging even more my efforts to actually pull something to better up this story.**

**So, after fighting some nasty moments of reluctance to actually try this and the fear of being unable to truly accomplish this rightfully, I hereby proclaim the beginning of Fate: Player Online v2!**

**Changes that have been planned:**  
**Age Situation:**** The HF movie confirmed that Shirou and Rin are 17, thus Shirou is currently 7 and not 5 (same for the others, their ages will be adjusted properly);**  
**Length of some parts****: I will extend several sections, like Illya's part and add some more action that is realistically acceptable as per Nasuverse's rules; (No more plot armoring)**  
**Cleaning up some messes****: I had left some unpleasant, unresolved situations in the first few chapters and I will make sure to rework them in a more calibrated way;**  
**Possible Minor Xovers****: It's a maybe, but I might be able to make some minor xover or cameo in the future;**  
**Update Plans****: Differently from my other fanfics, this one will not have a set date for the updates. I know that this is asking you all your trust on this, but I need time to plan properly this series without screwing up again and I don't want to lie to you all by having a set date when I can easily miss it or even rush a chapter too quickly.**

**I hope this small, humble apology reached everyone's hearts and minds as I am now going to make this story greater than it was!**

**Signed, SocialistBukharin**


	2. First steps in the Game

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**** First steps in the Game**

* * *

Shirou.

That was the new name he was given as his own and.. he wasn't sure how to react to this.

While his amnesia had blocked important parts of his memories and had incredibly _removed_ his name from his status menu, he didn't felt pleased to know he was named after 'Soldier' of all things.

Why Shirou? Why not something that was much more easy to relate him.

Haru (Spring) or even Akage (Redhead) if the man, Kiritsugu, he would have been more than happy to provide some suggestion if the man truly lacked that much creativity to make one.

It was oddly frustrating and the newly-named Shirou couldn't but feel confused, shocked and somewhat weirded out by this unknown stranger that was now going to be his new guardian or _father_.

The word tasted foul in his mouth as he felt he was _betraying_ someone by calling the unnervingly calm man a parent of his. Like a degradation of the term, a saddening devaluation of the meaningful word.

But he had complied to the change, he had to.

What could he have done after what the man had told him about? The many things that are not meant to be known to normal people, especially children like himself?

The curiously-named Moonlit World had started to grow more and more realistic, _truer_, the more the black-haired man continued to talk about it. And it all sounded so _honestly _given that Shirou couldn't help but accept everything leaving the adult's lips_._

That was also another thing that he couldn't understand about Kiritsugu. His body's behavior as he went to approach him, to explain him about this all and then adopting him without some major thinking…

It sounded so much... _forced_.

It felt like he hadn't planned this to happen but _was struggling_ and pushing for this situation to happen, against any common sense he might have had and… that also created another problem when the boy had left the hospital.

His current living conditions weren't something the newly-adopted Emiya _should_ have actually complained about, the household the man had brought him to live looking rather new and.. massive for just the two of them.

Its style resembling much of the old houses in the noble quarters of Fuyuki Town, the very buildings used by those few influential families of old that once ruled the politics of the quiet Japanese town.

There were two to three bathrooms, two living rooms, numerous bedrooms, and... _why Kiritsugu had to buy a house this absurdly big?!_

Ignoring the motivation that could have urged the man to buy something this optimally _empty _and _cold _mansion, Shirou's mind ended up wandering to a very interesting subject of their first interaction that he had been thinking about for a while now.

Magic, or at least something similar to it, was real and Kiritsugu was familiar with it.

The man's descriptions denied the child to understand the capacity of such power to accomplish miraculous deeds, saying that 'magecraft' was more similar to tricks from some cheap circus magician than what grand wizards and witches were known for, incredibly limited by the world around us.

Kiritsugu called it 'Gaia' and Shirou was surprised to learn about the single fact that _there was something that made things happen within the planet_.

Surprise tainted by dread at the mere idea that the world had knew about his plight and.. had ignored him. It was a bitter bite to swallow, one that kept gnawing at his mood for a long time after realizing about this particular development.

The explanation regarding the Moonlit World had concluded a quick digression about the 'will of the planet' and its counterpart, Shirou's guardian suddenly getting quite secretive about providing more about Gaia and its complex nature.

Shirou would have been compelled to ask why, to press for more answers than rather keep quiet and comply to orders coming from Kiritsugu's mouth, _to understand how his savior came to be and why he decided to pick him of all people as his son_.

But the boy didn't do any of that. Curious he was, his politeness and cautiousness went beyond the mere childish need to learn.

The man had his secrets and, while the child would have wasted time trying to learn more about him, Shirou had to deal with a bigger mess than this, thinking back about what he had found when he woke up in that hospital's bed.

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 1 - Exp: 0.00%**

**Health Points (HP) : 100**

**Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 3**

**INT: 4**

**AGI: 3**

**WIS: 4**

**VIT: 4**

**CHA: 5**

**LUK: 10**

What was he staring at?

The quick answer was straight-forwarded if not wrong considering the complex nature of everything around him after what had happened back just a day ago. It was his current state in the world represented by this unnatural gift.

A gift that had come to him as a boon for his lucky survival from that horrible disaster, something that even Kiritsugu was supposedly unaware of considering that he had yet to be himself pestered about the matter.

But then again, his mind decided to press forward to another important query, this one regarding the prime-point of the very issue he was dealing with.

What is a Gamer?

The question was innocent and Shirou couldn't get a proper depiction of what the supposed title was until after two days passed in that new home of his.

The cause of personal inactivity was related to the fact he still needed to make a full recovery, something that the doctors back at the hospital had stressed for someone as young as he was to comply to. Kiritsugu was glad to help by keeping an eye over him during this time of peace.

The boy was mostly fine, but his lungs still needed some time to re-adjust to fresh hair, urging him to not make any major sport-like activities during his first few days spent at the humongous place that was now his house.

It was annoying at first, Shirou was completely aware that he was stuck at home with nothing to do because of how things had turned out to be. In fact, it was kind of odd that the older Emiya hadn't gone to buy him some toys… just like a normal step-parent would have done.

Kiritsugu's interactions were rare and those times were mostly happening around breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Yet Shirou was still a child and.. _he wanted to do something instead of lazying around_.

And he was given something to actually do during this inactivity in the same way he decided to solve a terrible discovery he made while living with Kiritsugu Emiya.

Kiritsugu was by all means a normal adult at first sight, looking responsible and all… but he was also useless in preparing food and that was proven by the time he tried to prepare the first breakfast outside the hospital. The kitchen had lit in a quick fire, the result yielded by the astonishing attempts the man made with the objective of preparing some eggs and bacon.

_How do you fail this much?!_

As the kitchen was saved by the swift intervention of the very responsible of the accident, Shirou's eyes seemed drawn by the room now safe to be approached.

It was a very little section that was connected to the living room the two had taken an interest in frequenting as it was nearby to both their rooms and... the boy ended up opening the cooking book that had survived the man's onslaught and had been silently sitting by the small counter-table.

A few moments later, Kiritsugu blinked curiously at the simple plate with some decent scrambled eggs on it. The same portion as the one Shirou had prepared for himself

The smell was enticing and the texture seemed to have a pleasant color and crunchiness.

The man took a careful and small bite, his mouth chewing calmly and slowly as the boy stared at any possible reaction coming from him.

The very scene felt familiar, as if he had already done something like this befoe._ He could feel_ that he had already cooked before this day and that he had already done this particular activity multiple times in the past.

**[Thanks to a particular action, a forgotten Trait has been restored!]**

**Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.**

**Traits!**** The Game enables this functionality to optimize your growth and your life. Some Traits will be unlocked by accomplishing certain Quests, actions or even unlocking them from your past.**

Shirou ignored the boxes at first, his attention still focused on his guardian as the man let a quick smile at the delicious food before having it disappearing back in his seemingly-permanent thin line he had for a mouth. Only then he would glance at the description and… he frowned.

The reaction was enough to garner a response from Kiritsugu as the man narrowed his eyes in minor concern.

"Is something wrong, Shirou?" He said with such a calm, polite, _cold _tone.

A cold shiver went down his spine but the child merely blinked at the man. "N-Nothing."

Kiritsugu stared a little longer, trying to deduce more from the youth's silence but.. he returned soon to eat his food. "You should start eating," The man pointed out with a sigh. "The food is going to get cold."

The boy nodded silently and breakfast went uneventful after that.

Still, the panic that rose from that sudden comment would linger in his mind for some time. He truly had come close to be discovered.

-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-

Once his body had fully recovered from the traumatic experience suffered because of the Fire, Shirou was finally able to go for a walk around the city and after a long research through the industrial district, he managed to find what he was looking for.

**Electronic Games and Magazines**

The small shop seemed relatively new and lacking the usual lines people would expect it to have as the object sold there hardly appealed to the needs of the elderly population still living nearby.

The boy didn't give it much of a thought, knowing that it would matter little if there had been a crowd or not of people around, and he entered the shop only to stop to take notice of the shopkeeper.

"Good morning..." The young man with dark-brown hair, spectacles and a little beard on the other side of the counter greeted him calmly and with a tiny smile, getting a quick nod and a shy 'good morning' back from Shirou.

The child decided to not waste time asking for directions, feeling like that he could have easily messed his cover up if he ended up talking with someone else about this topic 'dear to him'.

The red-haired child was thankful that there were tags set around the aisles that could help him in identifying the few sections present within the place and soon he ventured inside the part of the shop that contained the magazines regarding games and other electronic-related subjects.

**[Warning! A set of actions has triggered a new Quest]**

**-First Steps-**

**Time Limit: Unlimited**

**You have to learn more about the Game to properly make good use of it and the only solution right now is to buy the right magazine. Find and buy the magazine that best fit with your needs.**

**Hints**

**This Game requires your mind to plan out your strategies and improve on your mistakes and flaws.**

**Reward**

**-500 Yen-**

**-LVL UP-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Beginner's Malus: 500% decrease in your EXP gain-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

Pushing the **Y**, Shirou looked around the display of the few, different copies available at the moment, trying to find something regarding 'strategy' as the Game had not-so-subtly implied to find about.

His search ended right as he found himself grasping at he magazine titled '**Dengeki Nintendo**' and, before going to the shopkeeper to have it bought, the young Emiya spared some time to understand some of the pages contained in it.

Super Metroid? Street Fighter? Why were these games named like these?

Maybe it was because Shirou had never played with a videogame before the Fire, or at least from what he could remember (and that wasn't much), but the names sounded curious and interesting, the description and the images being further attractive to look at as he felt compelled.

Then his gaze wandered down to the price set for the simple magazine and… he was shocked at what he found it out to cost.

_Why is this priced 720 Yen!?_

The boy had to double-check the number, grimace settling on his face at the somber realization that this wasn't exactly a convenient toll to pay right now.

Shirou had initially and wrongly thought that this kind of magazines would have maybe been cheap enough for him to get some ice cream with the spare before running back home.

He just had 800 yen and... he gulped down the sour defeat as he went to pay for the magazine, knowing full well that it wasn't pleasure driving him to pay up to this 'insane' amount of money.

The shopkeeper glanced at his face with a curious look as the boy went to leave the shop, the young man confused by the fact that the young client had appeared quite depressed after buying something that should have been quite enticing for someone his age.

In the end, the glass-wearing man shrugged and returned to his own duties… while reading some newspaper he had caught before coming to work.

* * *

Shirou's return back home proved to be as uneventful as he had expected, the boy having planned to quickly go right up to his room to start to study the curious and expensive magazine in his hold, unwilling to spare any more time in silent laziness and lack of some action.

Yet he would soon realize by the time he stepped inside his house that his plans were to be foiled as-*Thud*

The redhead blinked in surprise the moment he found himself slammed on the floor, the fall cushioned by the soft rug beneath him, and his magazine was sent flying across the room. His stare regained focus as he soon realized that the cause of this sudden situation was the giggling brunette girl currently pressing on him and snuggling him close to her.

...What?

His reaction would have been richer and more detailed, maybe even more active if it hadn't been the fact he had lost the opportunity to get some nice ice cream as a good snack for the planned lecture, so the boy merely blinked as he tried to understand what had just happened to him.

Fast forward five minutes later and the boy found himself sitting in the living room with Kiritsugu and _Taiga_.

Taiga Fujimura was an incredibly cheerful girl that was on her way to finish high school with good grades and… with several friends. The cheerful self-introduction had warranted a flinch or two from the boy, feeling that the pitch was just _a little _excessive for the situation.

Still, he could help but wonder about a very specific thing about the current even unfolding before him.

Why was Taiga here and why was she that much attached to him so suddenly and without reason?

Kiritsugu, she said with a giddy tone, was her amazing English tutor and Shirou could now understand the defeated look the man had adopted as soon as the two reached him back to the living room.

Still, there wasn't a proper explanation behind the quirky greeting he had been subjected to mere moments ago.

The girl had apologized for her quirky mannerism, but that didn't mean in her mind that she would now stop pouncing him down anytime she came to visit in a form of 'sibling bonding' with him.

It was ironic how someone that disliked being called a Tiger (even through her name meant exactly that) was so eager and prone to adopt this predatorial tactics in her friendly approaches with new people.

What truly made the child afraid about the smiling girl by his side was the dream she had so happily told him about in that very encounter.

She wanted to become a teacher, possibly one that specialized in English.

And for some reasons Shirou felt like that this very decision was going to make a massive, unavoidable and unfairly harsh impact on his little life_._

Soon the greeting made way to the planned lecture as Kiritsugu didn't want to waste further time in talking and wanted to verify the girl's homework for the day.

Ten minutes in the private lesson and Shirou managed to sneak out of their sight, closing behind him the door of his new room after tip-toeing up to it.

He sat on his bed, giving a long stare at the read in front of him and he decided to flip open the first page of the magazine.

Ten minutes of quiet reading passed, his mind sponging up all the new words he would learn from that 'document' and by the time he was done with this task, the child felt incredibly tired and confused about some little details portrayed by the teen-related section.

***Ding* You have leveled up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 2 - Exp: 0.00%**

**Health Points (HP) : 150**

**Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 3+1**

**INT: 4+1**

**AGI: 3+1**

**WIS: 4+1**

**VIT: 4+1**

**CHA: 5+1**

**LUK: 10+1**

The Game was just like one of these JRPG games that were starting to appear frequently in the last few years. He was lucky to learn that the magazine was provided with a quick scheme that regarded the major points of said genre, giving the Emiya a chance to grasp the concept of being the… Protagonist.

The Protagonist, the Main Character or the Hero of the story, had to level up to face stronger enemies and succeed in his mission to either save a lady-in-distress or save an entire nation, just like a hero from a fairy tale would do.

The strange thing was that only the protagonists had access to the power of the Game, the capacity to influence their power with Experience released by activities or fights, the improvements going to offer an edge to the characters to fight some horrible threats standing in their path.

But what was _his mission exactly?_

What was he supposed to do now that he had learned about this much? What could be a good reason to get stronger?

It was difficult to miss the familiar **Quest Box** popping up and Shirou's eyes widened in surprise at its content.

**-Grand Quest: The Tutorial Arc-**

**Time Limit: 1 Month**

**It's in times of need that heroes appear to brave a dark world. The hopeless ones are usually hidden by the darkest of secrets and only the justice of heart can bring true order in this sad world. Kiritsugu holds the key to someone that is dire need of help, someone he can't save because of -?-. Become stronger (LVL.10) and demand an explanation from him.**

**Hints**

**You will have your opportunities to improve. Don't wast them.**

**Reward**

**-25000 Yen-**

**-Improve Kiritsugu's closeness-**

**-Improve -?- closeness-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Beginner's Malus: 500% decrease in your EXP gain-**

**-Secret Route is closed-**

**\- -?- fate is sealed forever..-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

Who was -?- and why he/she needed his help? Why was he the one that could do what Kiritsugu couldn't?

No answer, he thought sadly as time passed by and nothing popped up.

Hesitation played in his mind of a while but...

**He pressed Y.**

* * *

**AN **

**The Prologue and this chapter had been prepared much earlier than the others, the third and the ones following are still under grammar revision and will take some time to be ready.**

**I'm happy for the positive response and that is why I'm posting this early on. I remind you all that the reason I cannot give too much priority to the story is because I have other fanfics (within my scheduled plans) to update. I'm sorry I cannot make updates quicker but this.. is for the best. It gives me the time to revise some mistake while I am at it.**

**Complete status will be added next chapter as I plan to make Shirou starts through the new Tutorial Arc. It will be quite unique as I had avoided utilising this one for.. reasons, first of those being that time my first round doing a Gamer!Fic. I (think I have) grow(n) up from that and hopefully will manage to make it good for all. **

**The story is going to be slow-paced and... will lack ID Dungeons.**

**Hard decision, one that many will condemn, but there is a reason I am doing this: ID Dungeons are... too much op. They usually rush things way too quickly and sometimes cause trouble when trying to keep up with the pacing. Shirou will have the means to level up, I promise you this, but I will not make him too much OP so early on. Plot Armor is still a ghost haunting my ass right now..**

**Review Q&A!**

**klim770****: The Pewds' version! xD**

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you. The reason it turned up like that was because I rushed so quickly in certain bits. Expanding the story will help to reduce this issue and maybe even removing it from happening again.**

**OSR fanatic****: Thank you!**

**The Rupture****: I will!**

**MWkillkenny84****: I have seen some cringe-worthy stories and I know the first draft of mine wasn't.. bad. But I still think that if I had done something like that right now I would have tried to find out if I was drunk or high while writing. (even through I don't smoke nor do drugs (Winner don't do drugs- Reagan) )**

**Guest (Chapter 1)****: If you mean doing an x-over with some of those Nasuverse works, then yes. If you mean stories detached from this one.. I might in the distant future, right now I have a strict schedule to follow.**

**Gadget Boy****: Mind you that this was the first time I wrote something this much massive but now I kind of got the things learnt and can do it (hopefully). :)**


	3. Sword (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**** Sword (1)  
**

* * *

Shirou had planned to spend the whole day training to hopefully unlock some new feature about the Game that he had yet to discover about. Something that could have helped in gaining EXP even with simple chores, or even give him new points to his stats.

The Game was as mysterious as it was incredibly complicated mostly because it managed to integrate his life in this different system that defied any normal conception of reality.

It had been a minor surprise to learn that his small body was capable of withstanding any simple training regiments without suffering the usual strains it would warrant, instead he would just wound up merely tired or sore.

It was an interesting novelty that actually allowed him to experiment a little more rather than just stop at a task or two, but it wasn't one devoid of particular limitations that made it legitimately good.

His stats were somehow representing his capacity to do things around the world, either regarding his capacity to move quickly, to think better and wisely or to lift things on and off the ground and trying to achieve more difficult or complicated physical tasks would actually end with his childish body falling in a physically-exerted state.

It was a slow process that seemed to speed up if he went to try and push himself beyond the common limits just a little more, paying the price by merely having to rest more often than usual.

Reading the magazine had actually given him some ideas how things were supposed to work now with the Game and Shirou had also learned about the term 'Grinding' and how it was going to be important to him.

It was usually referred as the practice of players/gamers going to train with low-level and safe battles until their characters are capable of stepping up to the next area of the game without having major issues with the difficulty and avoid any unplanned game-overs.

And that was why instead of going for the more complicated regiments, Shirou had settled with the basic workouts first. It would have been quite the dangerous activity for him to skip some preparation and from that very preparation he would still get some rewards out of it.

Speaking of results, that was how far the boy got after a full day spent training.

**Attributes**

**POW: 8**

**INT: 8**

**AGI: 6**

**WIS: 7**

**VIT: 10**

**CHA: 5**

**LUK: 10**

It was an incredibly small boost compared to what he would have wanted to accomplish but the child was quite sure that the issue wasn't much the Game but _how_ he was training up and why he would need to step up his pace once he got in a better situation.

The workout was one of the standard ones, the same many used when they started to do sessions at the Gym, and it was easy to understand how it would generate such a little impact compared to the one he had hoped for.

It was quite the frustrating predicament at first as Shirou had wanted to get some quick results as swiftly as possible after learning about the fact he did need to train… for something dangerous.

It had been a childish notion for him to even contemplate as he was just starting with this whole 'Gamer' thing and he had yet to get hold over the basics of it.

The schedule he had ended up formulating was this one:  
-20 Pushups;  
-20 Squats;  
-20 Situps;  
-1KM of collective runs done during the whole day;

It was a slug-paced progress but the redhead was optimistic that he would end up getting the results he wanted with utter determination and willpower behind his actions. He still had a full month to reach LVL10 and discover what the man that had taken him in was hiding, that meant that he was still allowed to try and go for a slow but steady route rather than head-slamming against something dangerous.

Speaking of Kiritsugu, Shirou was somewhat unnerved by the mere fact that the quiet man would always spend his time to watch the boy as he trained, part of the Gamer thinking that the adult was expecting for the boy to ask him about _that curious subject_.

The young Emiya couldn't help but be intrigued by the concept behind Magecraft.

The possibility to replicate amazing things (even through mundane, common and within the scope permitted by rules of the World) was something a child his age would crave only in their dreams and Shirou was no different than that.

He had planned to pester the man until he conceded some extra information about it, but after studying Kiritsugu's attitude and MO for a little while, the boy was sure that any direct confrontations without proper motivation and strength to back up his arguments would have turned to be fruitless and a waste of his time.

It didn't help that his guardian had decided to enroll him to the local school once he had gotten the proper certifications of his adoption, buying the books required for the year the boy was being enlisted for.

When he noticed the pile of books sitting by his bed, Shirou had felt a familiar sense of dread and disgust at the tower of knowledge creeping in his room as he could partly _remember_ how difficult studying was and why he had been quite detached from it all.

It was infuriating how his mind had been keen to remind him of the importance of learning and had urged him to plan something about how to study the pile of tomes before the school year started, just to get a head-start and avoid getting in trouble with the simple activity of the school day.

Thankfully, this very complicated thing wasn't difficult to accomplish as the boy had more than enough time to plan out something about it. It was still January and the Japanese school year started in April, thus he had Four months before he would have to deal with the burdening thing known as school.

Four month to further his current knowledge with the elementary-grade schools and-

**-The Perfume of Literature-**

**Time Limit: 4 Month**

**You have set yourself to step up your studies even during this tutorial vacation. It will be quite hard to accomplish this because of your limited attention's span but... You **_**could**_** do it. Maybe.**

**Hints**

**Plan your schedule in a way that you can fit everything without ruining your other projects.**

**Reward**

**-Title: Bookworm-**

**-Unlock New Route-**

**-Improve -?- closeness-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Title: Mediocre Student-**

**-New Route is closed-**

**\- Decrease -?- closeness-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

Shirou had accepted the new long-timed quest but he couldn't help but get confused about the rewards presented by the menu.

Why couldn't he know who he was getting close with if he succeeded?

What if he didn't like whom he was going to met if he passed this Quest and this was going to only mess things up for him?

Those unanswered questions were soon forgotten as the boy started to give a long look through the school books and, fighting back the various groans and whines from his bored self, he managed to keep his mind on the target at hand, his determination settling to improve his current self.

This effort ended up improving both his INT and WIS and yet Shirou couldn't help but think that he had lost any sort respect for that minuscule part of himself that had pushed this plan onto him and put him to deal with the dull process.

Despite his most recent development and growth, it did feel odd to say but Shirou didn't felt ready with what he had right now.

It wasn't paranoia or even some little fear,. he just had this gut-feeling that had him thinking that he wouldn't be able to sustain a regular fight anytime soon because of how his current state was.

He didn't have any fighting style to defend himself with his bare hands, nor a weapon that could allow him to compensate for this lack of martial arts.

Shirou wasn't ready to fight. Period.

Yet that little situation would soon start to change as something peculiar did happen during these few days.

He had woken up early in the morning, something that was fairly usual for him, he went to get dressed and ready as, after a quick stop by the bathroom to go through his morning routine, he reached the living room with a small smile.

Kiritsugu was already there, calmly sipping from a small cup of coffee in his hands and they exchanged a quick greeting before the man decided to drop some interesting developments.

"I am going to be busy... for a few days," The adult said with a calm tone, causing some surprise to rise out from Shirou's face from this unexpected news as it was the first time he heard the man speaking of going outside for more than the usual daily few hours.

The previous time had been just to go buy some groceries or other stuff... but a few days? Wasn't that kind of sudden with how little time was allowed to plan things out?

Actually, it was odd how someone as static as Kiritsugu was had managed to afford this large compound without even hinting in the past few days about anything like a job… or anything that would have allowed him to afford this much of an income

This was what made the boy still weary of the man, he was far too much secretive for his liking and he looked to be hiding something quite dangerous, almost nefarious.

There were so many things about him that were there left unanswered, things _that shouldn't be left unanswered for the sake of decency_.

Sadly, the adult didn't deign him some explanation behind this unexpected departure, focusing on finishing his coffee and giving him one of his usual stares.

Kiritsugu Emiya was a weird man, Shirou decided to summarize the overall appearance of his guardian as the very man started to prepare his own luggage back in his room... or at least part of it.

The child had seen the adult loading some of the basic things needed for a trip (shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc;) but the bags seemed to contain much more than this harmless stuff and his mind couldn't help wonder what else the man was packing for the voyage.

But he decided against ask him about this as he found himself incredibly buside the moment the front door was opened just quickly enough for a certain teenage girl to rush and tackle him on the floor.

"Shirou-chan!" The high-pitched squeal did hurt his poor ears.

Taiga Fujimura was going to be his bane, Shirou was sure of that simple notion as he struggled out of her surprisingly strong hold she had over him.

_How was a girl as slender as she was having this much strength behind her limbs?!_

It was during that moment of chaos that the boy realized something he should have done long ago. Something that indeed could help up shedding some light over this curious question.

**Observe**

The results displaying before him proved to not be good to see as they were quite the surreal sight...

**Name: Taiga Fujimura**

**Title: Young Tiger of Fuyuki**

**Age: 14**

**Level (?)**

**Health Points (HP): ?**

**Mana Points (MP): Blocked**

_H-How and why?!_

The very girl that was embarrassing him so much with her cheeky teasing and annoying nicknaming had a level beyond LVL12! What is this madness? What is this insanity?

Kiritsugu muttered two quick 'Bye's as he left the house in that very moment, leaving the boy at the Tiger's whims as giggles exploded from the giddy brunette.

She looked to be enjoying the idea that she could spend some extended time with her 'little brother' and Shirou sure hoped that the girl was going to distract herself with something else, just to give him a mean to run away back to his room and away from the pest.

His hopes crumbled after just ten minutes of being around the girl.

Sure, Taiga ended up turning bored because the relatively big house they were supposed to be staying in for the time being and having just Shirou to tease around wasn't certainly going to help her satisfy her need of 'action'. So, in a moment of brightest and possibly most annoying explanation, the brunette decided it was time for the boy to meet her grandfather.

The reasoning behind this resolution against boredom was incredibly derailed by any possible humane logic, yet there was little he could do about it as he had been easily pulled around by the girl, _knowing_ that the teen was much stronger than him and, with all the honesty he could muster, the boy preferred to not know how an angry Tiger looked like.

The walk would have been a good way to cool down his bruised pride but the girl leading him around started to talk... and talk... and talk.

Between harmless questions, simple tidbits about her life and how she admired (crushed on) Kiritsugu, Shirou's patience started to thin and then die down quicker than he had expected it to be possible.

It was an unnerving and unhappy task to hold himself from snapping at the overly-cheerful 'neechan' that was accompanying him around town but... _he was polite and he merely started to grit his teeth in utter self-loath as he screeched internally at the torture he had been put in_.

Kiritsugu had to pay, there was no way that the Gamer would just ignore this matter.

After around twenty minutes of enduring the worst possible, they were finally there after reaching the place where the teen's grandfather lived and-

Shirou backtracked a little in his thoughts' process, finding the new information connected to this new enlightening sight currently displayed to his surprised eyes, the scene giving him some insight over some questions regarding the reason why his guardian had managed to afford that mansion they called home.

Kiritsugu actually managed to pay every expense with just his tutor job with Taiga... because Taiga's family gave to him much more than a normal pay as a tutor.

It wasn't difficult to reach this conclusion as he noticed the presence of various thugs walking around the much bigger compound, giving them a few glances their direction as they entered the place and ventured towards the main building

It was how _fearful_ many looked their way that actually was putting him in quite the nervous state of mind. Seriously, what kind of family was Taiga part of?

They stepped inside, the girl seemingly and blissfully unaware of the redhead's panic and then they stopped at the first room. They were in what looked to be a medium-sized dojo with a yellow and black theme predominantly displayed all over the training area.

The girl by his side let go of him so that she could skip ahead of him in a quick sprint as she ran towards an... old man.

The elder was as tall as the teen, dressed in a green-toned kimono with a tiger-like decoration. His hair had grayed because of the late age and his wrinkles just made the already scary face he had even more terrifying for unknowns.

"Jiji!" The brunette happily greeted and she pulled the elder in an embrace.

The man grinned as the girl that was his granddaughter pulled him in a bear-hug. "Taiga-chan! It's good to see you," The scary fellow replied with the same happy tone, the embrace lasting for quite some time.

Taiga giggled and Shirou finally started to approach them with a slow pace and sadly, his presence was noticed by the man, his expression lessening to a threatening one, enough to send some shivers down the young Emiya's spine.

"A young boy?" He questioned with a low voice, glancing at his granddaughter with a frown. "Taiga-chan, how could you bring your boyfriend here-ugh!"

The elder recoiled as the teen kicked his shin with extreme strength and brutality.

"That was not nice, grandpa!" The girl replied with a huff, looking positively annoyed by that unexpected comment. "You shouldn't say that about brothers and sisters."

...They weren't even related and Shirou was quite unsure about the whole family-beyond-blood kind of bond with the girl. How many times he had seen her in total? Four or Five?

"Oh?" The man hummed quietly and gave the child a close look before nodding. "This is Kiritsugu's kid, right?" His question was surprisingly spot on and, before the child could answer, Taiga nodded in his stead.

The man then smiled, showing his threatening front teeth with an awfully cheerful way. "My name is Fujimaru Raiga, I am a good friend of your father, Shirou-chan." He introduced himself with an amused tone, the mirthfulness dripping from the man's way to address the boy.

Which wasn't lost to the irritated Gamer.

_...Oh God, noooooooooooooooo! Why that nickname!?_

_Like heck he was going to let it become a permanent thing!_

"Emiya Shirou." He bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, Raiga-sama." The man blinked at the politeness and then sighed.

"This kid is so formal!" He pointed out loudly while staring at the brunette. "Taiga-chan, maybe you should take some lessons from this boy about good manne-ih!"

The girl proceeded to chop on the old man's head at the jab at her unruly behavior.

"Grandpa!"

This girl was extremely violent, that was a proven fact in Shirou's mind.

* * *

"Your dad sure is reliable, Shirou-_kun,_" The man chuckled as he stressed the very thing that irked Shirou in that moment. "I had almost lost the hope of getting my hotheaded granddaughter a proper teacher. She is fiery and.. _fierce_, if you understand where I'm going with this."

A shiver went down their spines as they watched another kendo match between Taiga and some of the thugs training.

It was in that sight that Shirou confirmed that the teen wasn't someone to be trifled and that he had to be cautious around.. this brutal young woman.

"You know, Shirou-kun, I started to fight with a sword right at your age," Raiga sighed tiredly and then he continued. "It was when Japan was still recovering from the war and.. we had to deal with unpleasant folks in Fuyuki trying to make others' life difficult."

Banditry had been a thing in the city during the post-war period but it wasn't something much remembered because of the relative ill events that had happened around the period. Raiga was keen to bring this up and Shirou was bestowed with some memories from the old native of the quiet town.

The boy would have liked to hear more about history but a box appeared in front of him as he continued to stare _oddly_ at the swords that were being used.

_Shinai. Its name is... Shinai._

**[Something resonates within your souls... and a new Trait has been unlocked!]**

**Sword Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of swordsmanship and you can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Sword-Type weapon.**

_W-What?_

Reading the description of the Trait was enough to break whatever phenomenon had got him so mesmerized by the fight and Shirou would have had studied this situation further if-

"Are you interested in training, Shirou-kun?" The elder then offered without hesitation.

The question catched his attention and his surprise.

"I-I don't want to impose on-"

"Nonsense!" Raiga barked at the attempted polite refusal. "If you crave for learn the way of the sword, I will not be the one discouraging you!"

The boy blinked at the quick proclamation and he had barely the time to blink as he was taken by the elder to dress in the protective armor and given a Shinai.

The moment his hands grasped the practice sword, the Emiya felt his soul becoming hard as steel while his mind cleared and granted him full focus in front of his first opponent.

The thug was a LVL4, stronger than he should be, but... Shirou _felt _so much stronger now more than before. Something had changed the moment his hand had grasped the sword

Part of him wanted him to hold back in the first fight, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention on himself as he tried how much he had improved right now.

_But he moved so naturally and fluidly through the man's strikes, staring as these seemed to be approaching towards him with a sluggish pace._

He didn't waste time the opportunity as he started to hit through the openings allowed by the man in front of him.

It was in that exact moment, as the thug fell on the floor with a groan, that he realized what had just happened. While it had been a few moments in that somewhat beautiful sensation that had driven him through the spar until now, it had been just a handful of minutes of him playing around with the now confused and shocked thug sitting on the tatami.

***Ding* You have leveled up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 3 - Exp: 47.53%**

**Health Points (HP): 200**

**Mana Points (MP): (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 8 (9,2)+1**

**INT: 9 (10,3)+1**

**AGI: 6 (6,9)+1**

**WIS: 9 (10,3)+1**

**VIT: 10 (11,5)+1**

**CHA: 5 (5,7)+1**

**LUK: 10 (11,5)+1**

Shirou had barely enough time to blink at the news that he was tackled down by giggling Taiga once again, this time he had also to deal with her sweaty dress pressed on him.

"Shirou-chan is super-strong!" She cheered with another round of giggles, pressing even more the now drenched clothes on his poor face.

_Help._

"He is!" Raiga agreed as he clapped at the scene, a big smile in his face. "I knew that he had to natural at this! Give him some time and training and you will get some serious competition, Taiga-chan." The teasing tone directed at the girl created a curious smirk on her face.

The girl nodded at challenge proclaimed by her grandfather.

"Then I will get even more stronger!" The brunette proclaimed, getting a groan out from Shirou.

Still, as he recovered from the minor case of tackle caused by the girl standing above him, the Emiya couldn't help but muse about what could have happened in that spar. About the sense of freedom, of speed and focus that he had felt so familiar yet not.

_What had just happened there?!_

* * *

**AN**

**This is the first step in new territory. As I had said previously the rework will have new Arcs/Sagas and some of those are ideas that I had left untouched the first draft.**

**Now here they are as I give Shirou an acceptable mean to start with his training properly.**

**Will the Harem plan be a thing? Dunno, I don't wish to step onto the pairing section until Old Arc II (at least) as I wish to develop the characters before introducing pairings.**

**Why I am cautious about this? I have seen **_**a series**__**I loved a lot**_** being turned in a mess by rushed writing and poor characters' development propelled by shipping and pairings. Romance is not a way to develop a character in a story that is not romance-centric.**

**Review Q&A!**

**Shadow of God****: Differently from the first draft, I plan to give some of the main cast a more active role. Sure, Shirou is the protagonist but.. I think people like Rin and Illya might as well have some chapters centered around them, may it be for important plot details or character development. Shirou's Gamer is not the usual thing as... it is given by a 'finite' being via the Grail and his first defeat will actually happen soon, very soon. I was thinking of upgrading the Gamer much later in the story using a... **_**something**__**that is not officially canon.**_

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you!**

**janed12000****: It sure will get Shirou to interact more on the real world and give me the opportunity to regulate the pace. But yes, it was planned.**

**Cadelorbe12****: Hopefully I will pull this well enough..**

**MWkillkenny84****: Some major plot points are going to be mostly the same (Si), it is the **_**how **_**that is going to be completely changed. About Shirou and Muramasa - This is not the first time someone asked me some clarification about their relation in this story but.. this is how I see it: Shirou's Origin and Element are deeply influenced by Avalon and the only true thing that connect him to Muramasa is his proficiency in Tracing, if I have to take a fitting example for another Pseudo-servant situation I would take Sitonai. Illya is not related to the spirit but her body is.. highly compatible with her.**

**Also as promised! FULL STATS!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 3 - Exp: 47.53%**

**Health Points (HP): 200**

**Mana Points (MP): (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 9**

**INT: 10**

**AGI: 7**

**WIS: 10**

**VIT: 11**

**CHA: 6**

**LUK: 11**

**Skills**

**Gamer Body (LVL Max.) - Congratulations, your body had been turned into one influenced by the rules of the Game Module. This Skill is present in all Users from the very beginning.**

**Unbreakable Willpower (LVL Max.) - The hardships of your life had been making you stronger than the average human being. Risk of Possession and Mind Control are reduced by the 75%.**

**Noble Soul (LVL Max.) - Having experienced the worst trauma, you know the pain and sufferings of others. Your Soul is brave and determined enough to let you become whatever you wish.**

**Beginners' Luck (Non-Level Skill) - This temporary Skill will add a EXP multiplier related to LUK for Skills and LVLs. Expiration Level: LVL 10.**

**Traits**

**Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.**

**Sword Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of swordsmanship and you can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Sword-Type weapon.**


	4. Sword (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**** Sword (2)**

* * *

Two days have passed since Kiritsugu had left Fuyuki for his oversea business and Shirou was more than happy to enjoy the little schedule he had planned for this particular occasion.

Without the man at home, he was left with the limited presence of the brunette that was the Tiger of Fuyuki, the girl more than happy to grant him some more time alone compared to Kiritsugu's own attitude.

Yet it had been two days spent listening and _enduring_ the overly-cheerful Taiga Fujimura with her quirky antics and shenanigans, the hours wasted in those long narrations were then rewarded with special Kendo lessons that were ultimately paid by the Yakuza Boss, or Raiga-jiji as the elder liked to be called by the young redhead.

While he had to hold back much of his inner potential during lessons as to not create suspicions over his unusual fighting prowess at this young age; the boy had also found peace in the few hours Taiga had to be absent from the Emiya household either for school-related duties or because she had to hang out with some friends.

Since Shirou had given no reason for the brunette to not leave him at home with the hopes of avoiding any child-made disasters, the young Gamer was granted some more free time to spend in self-training and thoughts about the Game itself.

The makeshift dummy he had created out of an empty potato sack, a few pillows and old branches fallen by the courtyard, was then used by the boy, the young Emiya feeling eager to experiment out the newly-learned techniques and... he was content with the current pace of his training.

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 7 - Exp: 58.69%**

**Health Points (HP) : 400**

**Mana Points (MP) : (Blocked)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 23**

**INT: 21**

**AGI: 25**

**WIS: 25**

**VIT: 26**

**CHA: 16**

**LUK: 15**

Intense training drove the major improvements, but there were some rare instances where some Stat points would end up rewarded by the Game.

But those were unique settings, either trying to create the dummy, plan out the schedule for the week or even mid-training.

There weren't any true requirements presented, only that there was a slim chance of improvement during random tasks.

But it was the 'how' he gained more CHA that was actually surprising. Shirou had more than once engaged in a long discussions with some of the men under Raiga's control.

Simple discussions that were mostly-positive as the thugs living here were very devoted to the Fujimura Clan, the Head of the Clan having done much to lift them off from their respective problems.

Most of those conversation it ended up being an easy and quick task but the main requirement for success was determined by how much he had influenced his interlocutor and the impact his words had created on them.

Some words just seemed tough to understand, but the Game was compliant to offer a simplified explanation when asked via thoughts.

Landing just another hit on the battered dummy, Shirou decided to take a break as he went to sit by the edge of the inner courtyard, planning to bask in the soft sun as the heavenly orb's light was lessened by the few clouds up in the sky.

He slowly let his back lean down until he had gone and reached the wooden floor, his legs hanging by the edge of the sidewalk and... he decided it was a good time to enjoy some rest, a nap before Taiga could return and see him 'strangely' tired.

It was so pleasant to just let go of the hard-work to enjoy a brief moment of a day, to let his mind slip out from the tiring reality so that he can recover a little from the 'insanity' of his new 'everyday'.

Maybe he would go and pick some ice cream after a few hours of sleep. Maybe ice cream could get Taiga to not nag at him too much.

Yet as his breathing slowed down and he prepared to fall asleep, Shirou felt _something wrong _as his body stilled and tensed in unexpected panic.

Gone was the simple reality he had left as he had closed his eyes, his amber orbs nervously looked left and light and he saw a storm of colors of multiple shades and gradations.

He felt floating but... what?

The child closed his eyes again, this time hoping to return back to his home. Away from this new and incredibly awful madness, back into the pleasant relax afforded by the current time of the time.

_**Yet he wasn't granted such thing. Rather, he was given a completely different kind of heaven.**_

His eyes blinked open once more and the young Emiya was now staring at a particular blue sky, beautiful flowers of various colors welcoming him with their natural scents all over the green fields he was now lying by and.. something was making him feel safe in that unknown but mystical place.

He felt at peace in that everlasting divine garden, feeling the nature caressing him to rest, the soft wind carrying the soul of the world away for him to enjoy alone-

"A true paradise, isn't it?" Shirou's eyes widened a little as he moved his head slowly on his left, turning right where the voice had commented had called from. "That is what you are seeing, I reckon."

He blinked in surprise as he found the origin of said words, the individual smiling at him as the child felt confused at the person he was looking at, his incredible shock dependent by the intriguing and mesmerizing appearance regarding the man.

This stranger looked fairly-happy as he would glance once in a while at the fields of flowers and green nature around them.

The man turned around to fully stare at him, his purple eyes locking on Shirou's and giving a warm glint while wind softly ruffled his pure white hair.

A white cloak covered most of his body, some more clothes were visible underneath and for some reason the boy felt disconnected by this figure. Something about the unique style that just felt wrong to find in this part of the world.

The stranger was also holding a curious staff made of dark wood that intertwined together by the top as an unknown metal scepter served as a base for the curious instrument.

"Welcome to my... humble _prison_, I suppose." The man's voice was calm and collected despite the curious wording, but the child perceived a little later the persuasive charm dripping from his tone.

The redhead felt that he could trust him, it was something urging from within his soul as… as if he had already met him before.

The youth slowly got up from the ground to fully face the stranger, not bothering to hide the blatant confusion at this meeting.

"Who are you?"

The man's smile widened and... things went mad once more as he chuckled gallantly.

"A handsome demi-incubus, a prophet, a druid and.. the Mage of Flowers!" The introduction sounded as flamboyant as the man's peculiar appearance.

In that brief moment, the boy's mind made a quick but minimal comparison between the _weird_ individual and Taiga as both seemed to share quite the same boisterous personalities.

"What?" The Gamer was more than glad to question this madness.

The man deadpanned at the child's not recognizing him but he soon recollected himself with a cough. "Of course, my titles might have easily disappeared from the world but my name sure should ring some bells." His smile widened much to Shirou's inner annoyance. "My name is eternal. I am MERLIN, the greatest mage in the world!"

That _did _actually mean something in the redhead's mind as the name was truly familiar… as it was for anyone that had known about King Arthur's tales.

Merlin was a wizard, one of the most well-known ones coming from Europe, Britain if he remembered the name correctly, but...

"I-I don't want to sound disrespectful, Merlin-san, but.. shouldn't you be..."

"Dead? Gone? It was all a trick to hide my devilish appearance from feeble human minds-"

"Old?"

...

The man fell on his knees at the unexpected comment, his hands punching the ground in rather the comical way.

"_Whyyyyyy?_" It was a very pathetic scene to witness and the boy merely blinked through it as he didn't have anything to say about it.

Yet his attention was quickly caught by the distinct sound of tree's branches above him creaking at an unknown weight and Shirou felt something soft land and small on his right shoulder.

He turned his eyes at the anomaly only to see a curious animal, a small, white critter that resembled a mix of a cat and a squirrel with a small dress around its chest and pure azure eyes staring back at him.

"Fou."

The boy's confusion melted swiftly by the moment he felt something wet pressing on his cheeks, little amusement brewing at the realization it was the adorable puppy licking it.

A smile slowly appeared on his face as he slowly let his left hand scratch the creature's little head, drawing some more of its curious cooing.

"Fou~." The Emiya was so much distracted that he barely noticed that Merlin, now standing up from the ground, was for some reason throwing deadly glares at the small animal.

"I see that you have met Cath Palug," He dryly commented, sneering at the cute thing. "If I had the means I would seriously relinquish this little fiend to you."

Shirou snapped his eyes at the man, the words being incredibly harsh and shocking to hear, yet before he could say something about it, he felt the animal in his shoulder tensing a little as it turned to look at his.. owner?

It wasn't fear coming from its beady eyes, the redhead could see its hinder legs pressing in preparation as the critter prepared to pounce at the mage, the position being far too familiar to the boy as he had seen it being used multiple time by Taiga just so the girl could tackle him to the floor for some unrequited hugs.

"I was joking, you insufferable thing." The white-haired man said in a surrender-ish tone, his hands up in defeat as he tried to defuse the growing predicament, seemingly working as the little thing relaxed and started to nuzzle once again at the boy's neck.

"But I think we have digressed from some unanswered questions for long enough," The mage resumed as he turned to look back at the child. "And I kind of need to make this one quick to avoid getting some annoying woman-planet thingy poking at my little hell for some salt-rubbing irritations."

"You are currently in a special plane of existence created by me thanks to a little exploit I could afford with my set of skills," Merlin started to explain with a theatrical tone.

Shirou blinked at this starting point. "I-I thought this was just a dream!"

"I suppose the 'how' this connection is created is the same one goes to sleep but before he goes to the 'dream'," The white-haired man stated with a brief shrug.

"As your consciousness slowly detach from your body to rest, I managed to pull it on this small place I have recreated for the real deal." Merlin sighed a moment, just enough to get some breath in to deliver the lengthy explanation. "The reason why we are not in the real deal, this 'beautiful gardens', is determined by the fact you would surely die quickly and painfully of the dense concentration of magic in the air. This is the safest place you could enjoy the beauty of Avalon without dying some ugly death."

"Avalon?" The same sounded familiar and.. why did he felt that it meant a lot to him?

"Are you feeling it, some curious resonance?" The Mage asked with a curious voice. "Do you feel as if this word means something _special _to you?" At his nod the man continued. "Then you are indeed connected with the legendary scabbard."

At this the boy blinked in utter confusion. "The… scabbard?"

Merlin didn't reply at this, energy flooding out of his staff as from golden light emerged an image. Something oddly familiar, something he had seen before but… where he couldn't exactly pinpoint.

It was a scabbard as the mage had mentioned, gold and blue were beautifully mixed in a complexity of lines and figures of this incredibly well-elaborated construct and... for some strange reason the child felt his body heating up at the sight.

"Avalon is currently inside your body," The man revealed calmly, getting Shirou's attention back at him. "But it is barely awaken, it is just _up enough for me to form this connection_."

"A-Awake and, what do you mean it is inside of me?" How can an object be inside him without a surgery? He was sure his body was fine and didn't have any scars that could explain how-

"I can see it in your eyes that you are incapable of completely grasp 'how is something like that inside my little, childish body' and I will say that you are indeed a newbie magus, that-"

Shirou froze as the man's eyes went wide that very moment and almost jumped in shcok. "Oh my!"

Purple eyes stared close at his body, studying it and analyzing him meticulously.. as if a specimen before a scientist. "You... you are much more special than I had initially thought, my little friend."

"W-What are you talking about and... why are you staring at me like that?" Panic was rising within Shirou, rightfully so as Merlin took a step towards him.

"You got yourself an interesting blessing, one that its true nature is actually unknown to me but.. mhhh, it seems that for a fine work it sure does feel fairly incomplete." He extended his open palm. "I think I can do something about it."

Was he talking about the Game? And what was Merlin saying about this.. fix?

This fix was either an improvement or a very well-planned action to remove it.

The boy couldn't afford to give it up now! He- He had so much to do and.._**it was his to use!**_

The redhead took an involuntary step back, fear surging once again. "W-What if I didn't wanted to 'fix' it?"

"The system, this.. 'Game', is not compatible with your body and you will be suffering a lot in the events that will happen in your immense future," The mage explained with a tight voice, eyes narrowing at him with a curious glint. "I think you can _see_ that you are **blocked** from truly using magecraft and.. that is because your circuits are far too weak and unstable to use for even the basic spells with this little rarity you have withing you."

"T-Then-"

Merlin sighed as his hand moved quickly to grasp the boy's shivering one.

"You have to _change_ to be ready for what is along your path, little one."

A blinding light encompassed the area as Shirou felt his body **burning**, as if lava had been poured directly in his bloodstream.

Then **his stomach started to hurt much more than the previous torture**, the kid falling on his knees as he tried to resist the suffering.

Excruciating moments passed before the pain started to slowly disappear and.. the boy felt his body covered by sweat and.. pleasant warmth.

"Phew, that was much more difficult than I had thought it to be." Then he smiled widely as he patted Shirou's free shoulder. "It seems that your new addition is already in action."

**[New energy fills your vein! Merlin created within you a fully-operational Magic Core]**

**Magic Core****: It is highly difficult to find someone having a full Core in this Age, the last few ones owning one being those born to Eras that precedes the Age of Man. Differently from regular Circuits, the energy within your body is properly created by your body, making you less dependent to Gaia's influence.**

**Unlocked! MP: 800 (+40 MP/m)**

"A.. A Magical Core?"

Merlin grinned at his work, seemingly tired for a moment. "Indeed! This sure was something I had done two or three times in my past life, to see I am still capable of pulling those awesome spells-"

"Why?"

The white-haired mage paused a moment before adopting a serious expression, ready to reveal his brilliancy in that very moment-

"I am bored," He said with a steely face. "And I'm incredibly lonely here and in need of talking to someone."

...

The 'greatest mage' sure was quite the air-head, Shirou concluded in his thoughts as the man started to weep loudly at his own misfortunes.

"Y-You don't know how dull it is to be stuck in a tower in the middle of nowhere!" Merlin pointed accusingly at the yawning critter still resting on the boy's shoulder. "And don't let me start with _him _being the only thing I can talk with. _I am a glorified cat lady!_"

"That's... bad?" The child mused confusedly, his brain still trying to get through the sudden devolution of the conversation.

A soft glare emerged but it soon disappeared as the man realized he was still talking to a boy.

"O-Of course but, what I meant to say is..." He blinked calmly. "I need to talk with someone _that speaks human languages _once in a while. Enduring some thousand-year long silence is starting to _kill me_ and I mean in the mental way."

"Then why do you stay here? Why not just-"

"Oh, that because I had been tricked by a very _cold woman_. The darling was _so cunning _that she got me stuck in this part of the universe not many cannot leave."

_That was a confusing explanation. If Merlin had managed to get in Avalon, then why shouldn't he be able to leave it?_

"Let's just say that only those with '_pure heart' _can actually leave from that door and.. I want to seriously bail this insane prison!"

"D-Do I have to do anything about that?" Beyond the eccentric attitude, Shirou was certain the man was not _that bad_ to warrant this prison. Being confined forever here would be terrible, the beauty of the garden surely growing monotone and mind-draining for anyone sent there.

"As you are right now, with your current abilities?" Merlin inquired with a genuine surprised look. "No, you are far from being helpful with what I require... maybe in a few years from now, maybe even sooner if things go much better than I have foreseen."

His mouth opened to ask more but the boy felt being _pulled _away.

"Oh? It seems that you are waking up," The white-haired magician nodded with a sad sigh. "Well, that means that further questions will await until next time and- I almost forgot." He patted the child's head, his smile growing a little more genuinely grateful. "What is your name?"

Half-tempted to merely deadpan in silence at the incredibly weak question, Shirou decided to reply politely.

"My name is Emiya Shirou, Merlin-san."

It was in that moment that Shirou seemingly disappeared from the world, leaving the mage to stare at the empty spot the youth had once occupied.

"What do you think the boy meant with that -san, Cath Palu-?" The mage turned where the white animal had landed.. only to see nothing.

"Cath Palug-! GAH!"

The small critter jumped down from the nearby branch he had gone moments before the boy had left, returning to the clearing by 'Dynamic Kick' the Magus on his cheek, sending him KO on the floor.

_**Meanwhile back on Fuyuki, the Gamer woke up to a very, very annoying and unfortunate scene.**_

The last thing he could remember before falling asleep was being blissfully alone in that house, **without Taiga** and _enjoying his good peace_.

Now a pair of arms had gotten him tightly close to the now-sleeping Tiger of Fuyuki, the girl having taken two pillows and a long sheet to make their rest comfortable on the sturdy wood of the sidewalk.

It was somewhat nice coming from the overly-cheerful girl, evidence that she had one of the biggest and kindest heart despite his abrasive reactions to her rants.

And.. part of him felt quite embarrassed at knowing how he had been trying so fiercely to keep himself distant from the kind young woman, mostly because the over-the-top behavior coming from the bubbly brunette had left him… somewhat confusedly annoyed.

Maybe, just maybe, he will give her this once what she wanted with her hugs... maybe.

"_Shirouuu-chaannn._" The girl whispered happily in her sleep, bringing his head a little closer to the not-so-small bosom she had.

It was incredible how her clothes hid it so well and... the boy was incredibly unsure how to feel about that specific closeness.

So, instead of mumbling incoherently and risk waking up the sleeping tiger, he deemed it wiser to close his eyes and swiftly catch the sleep that had eluded him for so long now, unaware that the scene was being seen from afar by a pair of red eyes, interested in the curious phenomenon he had perceived not so long ago.

_**The presence of genuine magic, a true Mage born in this decaying and boring Age.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Shirou is clueless and distant, the latter is going to disappear overtime as he opens up to others.**

**Why I pulled Merlin so early on?**** I had always thought what he was doing during FSN, as he should have had some connection with Avalon... being trapped in the Avalon section of the Reverse Side of the World. The Nasuverse facts regarding his current whereabouts are quite shady, some says that he managed to escape early during Charlemagne's era while the most prominent line of thought is that he is **_**stuck**_** in the mystery known as Avalon.**

**Am I planning some OP things with him?**** Maybe in the distant future. I've planned for Shirou to.. have a special Arc with him leading during Old Arc I and Old Arc II.**

**Will Taiga go 'Ara, Ara' or keep her usual attitude?**** Both. I think that since Shirou is going to be much more active in his life, relationships will suffer a major improvement as I think what hadn't made Taiga that much interested in the Emiya was that he was so simple-minded on helping others and never seeing what and who he had around his private life. I don't plan anything too big but there will be some fluff/funny moments between them.**

**Realism in Game!Fics****: I have stressed well enough that I will give a major effort in keeping things as real as the Nasuverse allows me to do. There might be people contesting some odd decisions or facts and I can say, after having seen some confusion regarding Illya's Grand Debate, that a quick check for the offical sources will help a lot for those that are unsure of certain situations. P.S. Illya's age is Shirou's age +5 thus she is 12 right now.**

**Magic Core and UBW****: One of the greatest restrains Shirou was supposed to have was not being able to recover MPs because his magical energy, like pretty much everyone else, is meant to be dependant to Gaia's rules. Without a proper consumable capable of restoring MP Shirou's capacity to grow as a Gamer!Protagonist is stunted by this mortal rule. A Magic Core is considered a powerhouse in the Nasuverse, capable of not only filter better Magical Circuits, reducing the risk of Mana Depletion, but it also helps out Shirou in stepping up his worth in the big world. UBW is... possibly not going to become a thing. The only reason Shirou truly manifest his Reality Marble is because he had **_**a strong reason and a high connection to the despair that triggered it.**_** He starts to dreams about dying on a hill with swords when the Holy Grail War starts, thus the catalyst for that 'reaction' is the HGW itself. I can try to introduce it but.. as I said, I am here to not break any of the rules of this universe.**

**Review Q&A!**

**Rider126****: Martial Arts.. I have some plans about it, something only those who have played FGO will understand and I was thinking of having Kerry train Shirou a little before he died in using weapons. There is also a little misunderstanding regarding his attitude, his Survivor Guilt has been diluted... **_**a lot**_**. One of the Skills is Noble Soul that is a crystallisation of his capacity to be a noble and kind person but it is quite moderated by the Game to not go overboard. He will still try to save everyone but his reasoning will have a slightly change than canon. I think a good example from where I am molding his persona is Miyuverse!Shirou before Ainsworths.**

**HarmonyDST05****: I am planning to branch in other TM's works but I advise you all waiting for this to catch up with the timeline. Tsukihime's events will happen much, **_**much **_**later in the story as those happens in 2003-2004. Right now the year in the story is 1994 and Arcueid has yet to wake up. Maybe I will put some Kara no Kyoukai but... it will not happen in the same timeline for good reasons.. **_**Maybe I will add someone from there to Shirou's harem in that section.. **_**(No, it isn't Shiki.)**

**Cadelorbe12****: Aye, mah'tain! xD**

**Guest1 (Chapter 3)****: Thank you!**

**Guest2(Chapter 3)****: Before I reveal you this, I hope you understand this is my opinion and not a factual thing. The series that **_**I think **_**got ruined is RWBY. And Illya's route is a big **_**possible maybe.**_

**Random Reader****: Harem is set to be a soft-fluff kind of theme, nothing going for lemons nor limes. If I have to write anything about that then I will make something in AO3 to avoid breaching FF's rules. Sure, I can choice **_**everyone**_** but the choice in my opinion need to be honest and possible. I cannot make Shirou x Arcueid for the mere idea that she is in a canon pair with Shiki, same with Ciel. Shirou x Caren is doable and I state here that her age is fixed properly to the timeline as she is canonically 5 years old right now (no encounters for now, maybe in the following years). Also, thank you for your kind words.**

**Kingsman568****: I understand your words regarding Anime with ruined paces. I think DxD is a stark example of a protagonist lacking a genuine development to make his obsession secondary to save other people. In To Love-Ru (I make this example because I'm currently writing a story about it) is a tad bit more genuine with the characters development **_**being what actually moves the story**_**. Using Ecchi scenes can do so much to fix the fault of poor character development... Returning back to the story, the harem subplot is going to be triggered by Shirou's changing with the people around him, not the opposite. Just a pairing or two cannot push a story forward. (Thank you!)**

**Guest3 (Chapter 3)****: Dunno, it is up in my little planning mind but.. maybe no for good reasons.**

**merendinoemiliano****: I think I answered that last bit with the last paragraph of the chapter..**


	5. Sword (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**** Sword (3)**

* * *

Parry the approaching strike, dodge the follow-up, exploit one of the few, visible opening on the opponent's guard and then start again with this careful pattern while also not get baited in giving too much in attacks.

This little scheme was what had ruled over Shirou's mind as he decided to finally try to challenge and beat Taiga in a kendo spar.

What was ensuing was by far the worst escalation possible to ever be part of, the sheer unpredictability coming from the brunette making logical reactions to her attacks very difficult to elaborate in practice before the subsequent strike.

Her shinai was customized with a yellow-black striped strap on it, something interesting to stare at the first time he saw it but also one of the reasons the teen had never been accepted in official Kendo tournaments.

The standard rules were quite strict regarding the formal appearance of the instrument, highly condemning those who had it altered even just a little with some fancy customization.

And while Shirou had expected the girl to be irritated by this development, he was proven wrong much to his surprise by the brunette's happy reaction to his queries about the situation.

About why she didn't just pick another Shinai and competed anyway, the teen going as far as to giggle at how silly the question was, saying that she didn't care about make it to a legitimate professional level, preferring to keep Kendo as her favorite hobby than a true work.

It was difficult to discern if her eagerness to answer was about genuine compulsion to give out that 'silly answer' or if it was just another attempt to score a favor with the hcild.

The first few days after Kiritsugu had gone for his trip also saw her probing for more knowledge about the man, about things the dark-haired Emiya could have told to the boy, because Shirou was his 'son' and not to her because she was just a _friend_.

His reply was the same as usual every single time she would ask about it: Kiritsugu would speak just a few times in a while and it was mostly about current mundane things.

If the man had blurted more about himself, then Shirou too wouldn't be so intrigued by him and his secretive life.

The girl's reaction was a the same pout, no words nor further pressuring over him as she knew he _was_ being honest to her regarding the topic but that didn't mean she was happy about the lack of info.

***Ding* You have leveled up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 9 - Exp: 68.87%**

**Health Points (HP) : 440**

**Mana Points (MP): 1000 (+45 MP/m)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 26 (30)**

**INT: 24 (27,6)**

**AGI: 28 (32,2)**

**WIS: 26 (29,9)**

**VIT: 31 (35,6)**

**CHA: 19 (21,8)**

**LUK: 20 (23)**

Despite the pestering, Shirou was still rewarded by going through with their sparring, especially the difficult one he was sharing with the Fujimura.

The girl was stronger than many other girls her age, thus prompting the Game to give him some means to develop powerful abilities about fighting styles.

In fact, while the effort didn't compel a true increase in Stats, it did gift him with some pleasant improvement in the form of fight-related skills.

**Charged Attack (LVL. 2/10) - Deliver a powerful strike against your opponent! The ATK is determined by POW*5! (Cost: 40MP)**

The boy was thankful that this particular Skill didn't have any of the special lights that would display any strange occurrence while he used the Skill mid-fight.

He had tried via thoughts by chanting the name of the ability while he prepared to strike and, just like he had read happen in the magazine, he felt an immense boost over the attack that followed.

Still the redhead had expected some flashy effects that would make the power look like… a cool move to use.

Many games did have this mechanic, either to make things 'cool' or to highlight a special attack from a normal one, so it was a legitimate concern but curiosity to see how the abilities developed about flashiness, inherent strength and usefulness.

Sweat was starting to pour from his forehead as his efforts to warrant some advantage over the faster girl were turning out to be quite fruitless, his stamina being even lesser than the proud Fujimura as she continued to explode in endless energy.

Nothing managed to get through her flexible defense, experience and tribulations having tempered her guard to become something of a nightmare to deal with, and her shinai moved so quickly that he had to adopt unorthodox way to not get hit so much, something that would switch once or twice in a while and… wasn't even much effective in the long-run-!

**-8HP!**

**HP: 432/440**

Again!

He tried to move away from the barrage of precise strikes and fast stabs that followed the 'prelude blow' all directly hitting his sparring armor but the girl was _so aggressive_ that any attempt to get her to focus on defending herself vanished the very moment he tried to attempt something to deal with this predicament.

She was constantly attacking him, her objective clear as she was trying to breach through her indomitable rush.

Heck, if he could even bring her to pause just a moment he could turn her feeble defense in mince-meat but it was nigh impossible for him at the surreal pace things were going, the boy forced to deal with the lessening of the incoming impacts of every single attack thrown his way.

The Gamer was close to LVL. 10... but he was still unable to beat anyone, even someone as young as Taiga was!

What an infuriating notion.

**-18! CRIT!**

**HP: 414/440**

This last attack reached his head and made him recoil involuntarily, the concussion making him lose some focus, just enough for the Tiger of Fuyuki delivered another set of attacks he could barely dodge.

Half an hour later and Shirou was thankful that Taiga had to go to school, his HP having reached a worrying **208/440** from what had meant to be a simple spar.

Sore and quite irked at knowing he was far from being able to do _something_ meaningful, the boy decided to go for a walk to the park nearby.

Bored and interested in resting away from any possible annoyances in the form of the cheerful brunette.

_**He just was this much irritated at himself.**_

* * *

Shirou was grateful that he had finally come to see the park, the nature-driven haven becoming somewhat of a pleasant experience to have to spend alone and in calm.

He _could still remember_ having been there before the fire happened, but those fragmented memories and the mere notion that it had happened before somehow didn't make up with the personal experience he was enjoying at the moment.

The pleasant wind and warmth he could feel brushing his hair and caressing his skin, the boy was happily going for slow walk around the mostly desolate area of the city, being one of the few individuals wandering here and at this hour of the day.

Children were mostly spending their time at Homurahara Academy and many adults were still working even if it was close to holiday break, making the whole experience even better for someone that just wanted to have minimum contacts with people that very instant.

With a sigh, the child decided to sit by one of the available benches that gave a clear sight over the small lake nearby the far end of the natural location, a little construction that looked to be several decades old by the state of the stone used to make it.

No matter how little and bruised Fuyuki Town was, the city was still capable of giving quite some nice views to anyone that wished some novelty once or twice in a while.

Part of him wondered where he could find some ice cream in that very hour of the day, just so to add even more delight to this good visit at the park.

He smiled contently, looking from afar the lively section of the city beyond the park that was visible through the nearby gates.

"What a waste of space."

Shirou froze at those sudden words, hearing them being pronounced far too close to where he was sitting by in that moment. The cold tone dripping with disdain and dullness just made the whole unexpected interjection to be… chill-worthy.

He slowly turned to see the culprit behind the comment, a youthful man sitting on the free space of the very bench the Emiya was occupying, blond hair and red eyes as he stared dully at the fountain.

There was some tense moments of silence at first, but then the child turned his attention back at the structure and frowned.

"Why?" He asked with a confused tone.

It was curiosity that drove the child to question the curt but harsh review over the man-made object.

"This could have easily been turned in a place of production," The blond surprisingly replied, his tone not changing from its initial pitch. "Even a section for new houses and yet someone decided to be dictated by some senseless needs like the one for relax and the one craving for natural points."

The redhead blinked at the explanation but stood silent as they both continued to stare at the place.

"Do you... think creating abt park is useless?" It was a simple question and Shirou put an effort to try and avoid sounding too much annoying with his tone, feeling threatened by the young man.

There was just something ominous from the way he was so at ease, from the way his appearance screamed of power and unpredictable wrath at the least slight.

The Gamer was happy when the reaction was just a simple scowl, lacking any sort of negative connotation regarding him as the red orbs were all fixed at the fountain.

"I suppose that my rightful opinion is influenced by the good rule from my home," The man admitted calmly. "But I know this is just a disgraceful way to spend resources and time for the people here."

The boy nodded slowly at the stranger's words, not to agree but rather accept it as an opinion. He finally turned his full attention to the man, trying to understand why he would begin this conversation with such a confusing topic.

He got just a glance as the blond continued to stare placidly at the sight in front of them.

"W-While I understand your explanation, sir." Shirou started politely, awkward and somewhat wary of the individual he was speaking with. "I think that... it has still some uses other than mere need for a natural place."

Silence ruled once again, taking a little more of time while a gust of wind started to cool the hot weather of the day, bringing some relief to the redhead's mind.

"Indeed?" It was relayed slowly, almost quizzically as the man's stare having steeled for a moment to weight his words, numerous thoughts playing for a while on his face.

"I-I mean, it makes the city less... boring?" It had a playground and.. people liked to run and excercise in this particular place of the town. "While working is important, people do deserve some means to spend some time away from worries and… stress?"

"You.. are telling some truth." A sigh, a tired one, left the red-eyed individual's mouth. "I am quite pleased to see something that can help in soothing one's mind."

"Also it is.. a nice place for kids." Shirou blurted quickly, a bit embarrassed once he considered what he had just said.

"Perhaps," The stare softened as the man seemed to remember something. "Childhood will always be the easiest time for everyone, especially those with the greatest of burdens."

He stood up from the and silently started to walk away, surprising Shirou at the suddenness of the act and the boy expected the man to merely leave there without saying anything else.

But the blonde then he stopped, glancing back with a curious glance.

"You have good chances to become great, to _redeem_ the decadence afflicting the world." His tone was almost prophetic and the boy felt those words to be true in his mind, something about the figure giving off a sense of authority and truthfulness that couldn't even be denied within his thoughts. "I will watch you closely as you grow stronger and become the founder of a new Era, hopefully"

The greatest promise, one of power and duty.

…

_**What the heck did just happen?**_

* * *

Kiritsugu was back in Fuyuki. He was back at home.

Shirou stared in surprise as he returned early back at the house only to find the man slowly trying to apply some fresh bandages over... _**that**_.

It wasn't a normal wound by any means, his skin all around the damaged tissue black and dying, too much blood flowing out of it for that to be something stable, under control or…

Curable.

"Shirou." Kiritsugu said with a blank tone, a piercing stare now directed at the redhead.

The boy froze as the man's blank stare was upon him.

"I-I'm sorry- I didn't expect you to-" The child tried to apologize, his mind still wrapping up about the wound he was just looking at.

"It's not your fault," He responded curtly, understanding. "After all, I didn't mention that I could have returned earlier from the trip."

The Gamer merely nodded at his words and the man finished putting his shirt and jacket on after concluding his difficult task.

"You seem different." The adult mused loudly enough to bring this topic right to the child's ears.

Panic surged in the boy's mind at those words, body tensing up at the development here unfolding.

The comment had come out of nowhere and it drawing some shock out of the young Emiya at how quick it had all come out as.

Did the man knew that something was wrong about him? That he was _weird _enough to investigate about curious anomalies?

As an excuse formed in his mind, Shirou ready to rush out from that ugly predicament, he felt Kiritsugu's hand grasping his left arm and he felt his skin sting a little at the touch.

"Your Circuits." The man commented again, louder than before as a slim note of surprise was playing on his expression. "They are active."

"I-I-" The hold tightened and Shirou felt _true fear _as the man crouched to get a proper look at his face.

But before the build-up could lead to the zenith of that escalation, Shirou was granted mercy in the form of a certain bubbly brunette.

The door of the living room was suddenly opened by Taiga as the girl stepped inside the room, seemingly ready to begin the usual 'babysitting hours' with the Gamer but she paused at the scene, her initial smile crumbling in confusion and minor surprise.

"K-Kiritsugu?"

Whatever the man had planned to do with the redhead ceased in that very moment, the dark-haired guardian moving away and sitting near the table.

The girl finally smiled again, happy that her teacher was back this soon. "You are back earlier! Did Shirou tell you that he started to train in Kendo? He is a prodigy, that is what Jiji say and-"

Kiritsugu froze, eyes widening a fraction at the detail regarding the training. Something stirring as his composure returned cold and somewhat irritated

"Taiga." He said with a steel-like voice, dragging the teen to pause in her rant, a feat that was as rare as unusual.

The teen flinched at the tone, looking nervous as she noticed that the dark-haired Emiya didn't look very happy.

"Y-Yes, Kiritsugu?"

There was a brief pause, the man taking a sip from the cup of tea he had on the table before Shirou had returned home.

It wasn't hesitation, it was pondering over the following words.

"Tell Raiga-san that I will no longer tutor you." Kiritsugu suddenly proclaimed, nodding as to bring determination to this shocking decision.

The girl looked tense, eyes widening immensely at the absurd predicament, even Shirou felt that this was surreal as the man had no reason to just dismiss the girl like that.

...

"W-What?" Her tone broke a little, her face was twitching as Taiga tried to hold her tears. Her efforts were failing, much to the redhead's growing sadness "W-What do y-you mean w-with that?"

"I was quite clear with the man with our deals," Kiritsugu explained curtly and mysteriously. "He overstepped his boundaries with this development and now we are done with our contract."

There was another pause, this one much smaller than before as the girl started to sniff and Shirou's jaws had hit the floor at the cold tone used by the man.

"Go back home, _Fujimaru-san_." It was the final order, one that

Shirou felt numb as he continued to stare silently and wide-eyed at the insane scene. This was the first time Kiritsugu reacted so viciously and.. with Taiga especially. The brunette was after all affectionate with him and that had to have hurt far too much to be just condoned her in quiet mortification.

The girl was a pest and quite annoying... but even the boy had some limits in that dislike, having long accepted that her actions were all done for good's sake, not for any selfish or infuriating purposes.

Speaking of the Fujimura, tears were now freely falling off her face as she was trying to make sense in that mad escalation, part of her unable to accept this sudden refusal from the man.

It took her a while but in the end she managed to steel herself, giving a brief nod as she turned around and started to walk away from the house, the front door harshly closing with an angry slam, leaving just the two Emiya alone once again.

For the first time in a **very** long time ever since he had been with Kiritsugu, Shirou felt that this situation was just beyond anything he could just forgive quietly and so calmly.

The man had been secretive, barely interacted with him.. and he _dared_ to do this. While the adult hadn't mentioned the reasoning inclining to this sharp dismissal, the boy knew well enough to see that the issue was _**not**_ created by the Fujimura Clan.

_**He was the problem, the one that caused this predicament by merely trying to connect.**_

He felt his lungs burning furiously, sight tinging in red at that unfair development as he was now aware of why it was a problem.

Shirou was meant to be left alone… because _**Kiritsugu wanted to be left alone.**_

He closed his eyes, ignoring the fact that the dark-haired moron was now looking at him and seemed ready to resume what was happening prior to Taiga's interruption.

But not this time, he thought so determinedly and decisively.

**Shirou stood up from his seat and started to walk towards the entrance corridor.**

"Where are you-"

He didn't hear the last part of the question, the moment he heard the man speaking his legs swiftly switching to a quick run out of the house and out of that room.

His destination?

Taiga had done nothing wrong and.. he had to apologize for what had happened.

It was his fault. It was his duty to be genuinely sad and helpful of someone that had been helpful since the very beginning.

An apology for being such a brat.

An apology for what had just happened and...

An apology because he had lied to himself.

She might be overbearing with her eccentric antics but... she wasn't bad enough to warrant his utter hatred.

She wasn't there when the fire had happened and she had tried to not mention it.

She had _never tried_ to remind him of that tragedy as she knew he would not stomach that.

He was alone in the world and she tried to bring him some hope, something that while unneeded for circumstances.

Even Kiritsugu's kindness had failed to warrant this inner emotion, this sensation that only the brunette knew how to bring out from his core.

_**She made him feel important, She made him feel worthy.**_

And here he was, running madly through the streets of the city, ignoring any stares from the bystanders around thrown his way as he finally reached the compound where the girl had to have taken refuge..

Pausing a moment to regain a composure out of that breath-taking rush, Shirou walked slowly but determinedly towards the gates of the building complex.

He found Raiga sitting by the sidewalk right nearby the main doors of the building, the elder staring at him impassively as the child stepped inside the main courtyard and his stare fell to the ground the moment he was close enough to ask to enter, ashamed of the predicament and the stern stare from the old man.

"It was Kiritsugu, right?" That caught the redhead off-guard and the elder took it as a positive response, sighing at the situation. "I should have been careful about that specific detail, I had forgotten about those bits of our agreement and.. now my granddaughter is stuck in her room, denying anyone entry.. even her Raiga-jiji."

He deflated for a moment, genuine displeasure evident on his face. Then he tried to appear stern once again. "Go and, _,_ help her. I- I can trust you to not hurt her, _can I_?"

Shirou gulped at the subtle/not-so-subtle threat. "I-I am not going to hurt her, Raiga-jiji."

"...Good." A small smile and the boy was directed to the door keeping him from knowing how hurt she was.

He felt his shoulders heavying as he knocked thrice at the door, softly. "_G-Go away, Jiji-" _"I-It's me."

Few moments passed and Shirou frowned as silence reigned for a while. "T-Taiga-"

The door opened quickly as the girl's arm snatched him inside, almost making him trip there in the process.

The room hardly resembled any of the ways the boy had imagined a girl's room, the walls were a dark shade of yellow, few posters of some obscure rock bands and a small desk with a school bag and some books still sitting on it.

Meanwhile the girl had jumped back in her bed, a peculiar fortress built there for the occasion.

"W-What are you doing here, Sh-Shirou-chan?" The brunette tried to appear furious at him but… he knew well enough when the girl would be angry.

And right now it wasn't anger that was talking. It was hurt.

Usually the Gamer would have groaned at the mere mentioning of this nickname but he decided to let it go, knowing that the circumstances were far from normal and he couldn't afford to sound mean.

"I-I.." He gulped as he felt the nervous knot in his throat tightening. "I wanted to-to apologize."

She blinked from her shelter... of pillows and tiger plushies? What was he looking at?

"W-What?" The brunette frowned, appearing incredibly confused at the boy's words.

"I-I had treated you badly by-by ignoring you and.. and you were kind, I know that you mean everything so-" He didn't have time to finish that he was tackled down but this time he was more than happy to have someone to hold onto as he too felt some tears coming through his dams.

His face pressed one her shoulder and... he cried.

He hadn't cried when he woke up in the hospital, he didn't cry when he realized he was _alone and without a family_.

Maybe... maybe it was the fact he knew Taiga, he could see her face, remember her smile and... _**he could remember her.**_

"You did nothing wrong, Shirou-kun," She said while letting out a sob on his own shoulder. "You-You are not the one at at fault."

Shirou smiled a little in her hold, enjoying that brief moment of mutual honesty he was having with Taiga.

"T-Thank you, T-Taiga-neechan."

The hug tightened and he could feel her _smile_. It wasn't the usual happy smile no... it was a _genuine _one.

"Y-You are welcome, Otouto."

* * *

**AN**

**Shirou is emotional all of sudden, why?**** As much as I can make Shirou stoic, he doesn't have Gamer Mind. He has still feelings keeping him rooted from fully going cold to the world and.. he is still a child. Mood swings are still a thing at his age, especially when he is so far influenced from the fire. He had already lost someone he cared and.. he didn't wanted to lost anyone else this soon.**

**Is this going to end in some serious pairing?**** Nope. I might still go Illya route but.. I am still thinking if that is truly a good idea by the end of what I've planned. In the previous draft it was all planned for Illya **_**being**_** Shirou's only one. In this version? I don't know but I might as well if things go a certain way.**

**Kerry is a cold b*stard, shouldn't he be a little more warm with people?**** You all have to consider the fact Kiritsugu's attitude thawing happens much after the 4th HGW and he had just returned from his first failing attempt to recover Illya. He is incredibly sour and quite restricted to see whom he had taken under his wing practicing something **_**remotely **_**dangerous. In that brief moment of over-protectiveness he put on the pragmatic mask he had used during the war, one that barely value others' feelings.**

**Taiga is stronger than Shirou, but Shirou has.. Magecraft?**** Considering Nasu's own words (surprisingly not-so-paradoxical in this case), Taiga is actually pretty strong. She has been trained for years in Kendo, many whining how she had wasted her potential by not going for some official career in the sport, her shinai is also stated to be 'possibly' a demon sword and... her luck is EX. I am not joking about this, it is said that she had somehow avoided three armageddon-level disasters mid-4thHGW. Don't worry, Shirou will beat her in few chapters thanks to magical exploits.**

**Gilgamesh and his.. weird introduction****: I had planned to make his introduction as violent as I did in the previous draft but.. I considered the fact very few tries to use the new information we have regarding Gilgamesh, especially his Caster version. While his Archer version is quite stick-in-the-mud, he is still wise to some extent to not try to go Gung-ho against everyone. The reason he had been so vehemently attacking Shirou in the Canon is a mix of anger and arrogance since he cannot accept the mere idea of someone stealing his thunder.**

**A slight mistake about Illya****: She is ten, not twelve. When I wrote that bit I was using old notes and.. she is ten right now. She is said to have been born a decade before the war so.. she is ten.**

**Review Q&A!**

**The Last Kenpachi****: Dunno. As I said regarding pairings, I am quite hesitant to pick a particular one this time.**

**Rider126****: **_**That's just not Shirou**_**. *Frowns and stare at the snarky EMIYA Alter*. Shirou will use other meele but.. I think guns can become a factor, not a major one but.. still important in certain bits of the story.**

**Cadelorbe12****: Yep!**

**Redrangerlegacy****: That is a good idea. I was thinking of pulling also Salter and Lily but.. Dunno, I will think it when the time comes..**

**merendinoemiliano****: Differently from Harry Potter, the Nasuverse Mages have a very limited capacity to use magics. Not only magecraft has to follow strictly physics and natural laws but Magical Circuits need **_**a lot of time**_** to fully recharge. During the Age of Faeries (Medieval Age) Artoria was capable of using Excaliblast! a lot thanks to the fact she had been born with a Magical Core. If Magical Circuits are silos that are used to store grain coming from outside (Gaia), Magical Cores are literally infinite camps of grain that can directly refill the Circuits.**

**xcution409****: Gilly is a patient boi, he will not burn anything until he got a worthy challenge out of him. Like a fisherman sparing a small fish, knowing that it will grow to become something bigger. Zelretch's role and attitude are.. still in the gray zone of my rework as, while I know he got the Kaleidoscope, I doubt he has **_**full control over it**_**. He can use it but he doesn't have a full knowledge of every, single universe he could visit.**

**HarmonyDST05****: That is Touko Aozaki. She got the Mystic Eyes of Enchantment (elevated to infinity) and created the Mystic Eye Killers to suppress her own ability to burn her reserves. Maybe she will appear in the little plan I have with the Kara no Kyoukai Arc. (Yes, that is one of the new Arcs.)**

**Guest (Chapter 4)****: Fixed!**


	6. Sword (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**** Sword (Part 4)**

* * *

This was surely going to be a peculiar morning.

That was Shirou's first thoughts as blinked awake and found himself waking up to stare at the weirdest sight he could have ever imagined to deal with.

The familiar fruit-scented orange sheets had been the first sign that reminded him that he hadn't fallen asleep back in his room; the warm individual currently latching onto his small frame ending up cementing that he was not in his room.

"_Shiiirou~_."

He blinked again, this time a tiny smile creeping on his face as he slowly turned to find a sleeping Taiga, the girl looking quite at ease in her rest and the sight he was presented with more than amusing.

Not only she didn't look anything like the hyperactive brunet she was with the usual mannerism when she had when awake, the teen was also incredibly grabby and cuddly in her sleep leading to some _not-unwelcomed_ cuddles from his... big sister.

It was already weird to address her with that kind of title in his mind, Gods know how difficult it will be to truly get the habit integrated in his daily normalcy as the girl would surely keep up with her pestering, maybe even more than before now that this role was now hers to tease and enjoy.

His eyelids were half-shut as the warmth from the snuggle was... endearing and he found it easy to accept this intimate predicament without much of a fuss, especially when his mind kept reminding him of the escalation happening just the day before.

Part of him wondered what had happened to Kiritsugu and what could have urged him to adopt such a cold and strange snap at the novelty of the redhead's kendo training.

Shirou was also confused if not nervous about the fact that the man had yet to storm the compound, knowing full well how stubborn he was and… how 'protective' he was of him.

His musing ceased momentarily as he felt something wet starting to munch at the fabric right over his shoulder, feeling a twitchy sensation developing right in the area.

"_Nom~._"

For someone that disliked being compared to a Tiger, Taiga sure wasn't that much different from one as she continued with her nibbling at his shoulder, her pace seemingly born of hunger and… maybe it was because it was time for breakfast.

Thankfully she wasn't biting too hard on his skin, the sensation actually not as unpleasant or-

Amber eyes slightly widened as her chocolate pools opened without notice, the girl that had previously enjoyed the quietness of the morning waking up with a panicked expression as she had possibly realized about his presence.

"S-Shirou!?"

It wasn't surprising that the first thing the girl did at the close-up sight of his face was to jump and fall out of the bed while letting out a quick yelp, dragging some of the covers with her down to the floor.

The boy blinked as he refocused on her veiled frame, only her eyes and part of her reddened cheeks were visible from his position.

"You- I and- But then.." Her eyes widened by that very moment as the recollection of the previous night had indeed quickly started to return to her mind, a major smile breaking through the confused mask she had on her face and _she pounced_.

A yelp left the Gamer's mouth as he was tackled by a full-grinning Taiga, the teen proceeding to _crush_ his body within the ensuing close embrace with her arms squishing him close and lovingly.

"You are my Otouto!" She proclaimed with a sense of pride and happiness.

The nervous smile appearing in Shirou's face didn't make justice over the flurry of emotions he was trying to keep a hold on to understand within his mind.

Another mood swing suddenly happened as the girl gasped and stilled in the embrace, her hold lessening just a little while her eyes now sported worry and panic.

"Wait, what about K-Kiritsugu?!" She asked, mostly to herself rather than the redhead.

As the girl eyed him intensively as if to silently press him for a reply, the boy couldn't but sweatdrop at how quickly things have escalated in these few minutes.

"I...I did run away and... that," He commented carefully, unsure how he should have really dealt with her concern.

Considering how rash his choice of action had been back then Shirou felt slightly embarrassed to the idea he had to literally _run away from his home_ to catch up with the running Taiga, preferring to mend the breaking connection instead of just sitting and letting it happen.

Could he have solved this in a better way?

Maybe, but... _**he had been so angry and emotional **_with the words used by Kiritsugu and his swift dismissal of the girl that the boy couldn't actualy regret his quick-thinking that very moment.

...

"Gah!" Taiga finally broke away from her silence, her worry tripled with his answer. "He is gonna say I kidnapped you and that I'm a bad influence!"

The brunette blurred between panicked words to delusional statements, the spectacle as concerning as amusing to the only witness of this case.

"I am going to get thrown in jail!"

"My classmates will look at me badly.."

"I will never become a teacher!"

"Raiga-jiji is going to ground me permanently-"

"Taiga-neechan?" He finally jumped in, his tone a little uneasy at how she was firing so many horrible ramifications to this kind of worry.

The female paused in her erratic behavior to turn towards a wide-eyed Shirou, the redhead averting his eyes away for a moment as he was still quite confused by this whole display of pure madness he hadn't thought the girl capable of.

_...Okay, maybe just a 'little' expected._

"I-I mean, wouldn't Kiritsugu have called the police already?" Shirou asked cautiously, feeling like that would have been a clear sign of the man truly pursuing an aggressive escalation with the girl.

Her form stilled at those words, thousands of thoughts trailing inside her overreacting mind and then she blinked in realization, finding some resolution in the boy's comment.

If someone as serious as Kiritsugu had been interested in recovery Shirou at once and without minding dealing with the Fujimura clan then he would have truly called the cops for that, then... then they would have already appeared hours ago but there had been nothing of this sort as it's been almost a full day and no one had barged in their house.

"You- You are right, Shirou-kun!" She smiled widely, nodding at his reaoning. "That means he is not going to get me arrested!"

_That wasn't something you should be squeaking so happily about._

The brunette then proceeded to grab him and hold him close as she twirled around her room.

"Yatta!"

..._What a weird woman._

Moments later, a knock coming from the other side of the door caused them both to turn towards the only entrance, their frames stilling just momentarily as the worry was back once again.

Did he jinx it? Maybe the police had to wait some time before going after them and-

"Yes?" Taiga asked calmly as a tired-sounding man sighed from the other side.

"_Raiga-oyabun wanted you both in the living room,_" The grunt stated calmly but hastily. "_Breakfast is ready and.. we have a guest_."

Sharing a collective blink at the last detail, Shirou quietly turned to look at his surrogate sister as he noticed her tension increasing at the possible situation unfolding out of that room.

"I suppose he would still... want to talk?" He supposed, trying to ease up the brunette and… it actually worked.

"Y-Yeah." She deflated quickly, the Emiya sighed while snorting in her shoulder.

"He will not hurt you." He stated fiercely, holding her tighter. "I will make sure of that."

And yet he was unsure if he truly could do that considering that he didn't even know at what level Kiritsugu was...

The last, quick hug Taiga give him made him more hopeful about a more peaceful resolution on the matter.

The giggle leaving her lips as they made their way out of her room filled with some nervousness but also some minor bravery.

_**She wasn't certainly going to back away now that she had a brave otouto by her side!**_

* * *

"Kiritsugu! It's been so long and.." Raiga greeted while smiling widely, displaying part of his sharp teeth at the silent looking man. "What is this that you have hurt my dear granddaughter?"

If the younger man had been reached by the quiet but visible anger coming from the elder Yakuza boss, he didn't show it in his face as he merely sipped at the cup of coffee Raiga had gotten prepared for him by one of his thugs.

Before he could actually return the greeting in a more curt and formal way, Kiritsugu noticed the noise of footsteps and soon he glanced at the at two 'escapees' slowly entering that room.

He blinked carefully, his attention caught by the curious way the young boy was latching at the older girl, as if they were siblings of sort and… he could see how it could be easily confused.

Their appearance was mostly similar, or at least enough for people to guess some familial bond between the two individuals.

It was that specific sight that brought quite the nostalgic stab in his soul as he couldn't help but compare their current dynamics to... to his own past.

It has been more than three decades ever since he had seen Shirley back in the little island they were peacefully living in, three decades since he had tried and struggled to make sure that he could keep his little family together.

Three decades since he had to end her life as she was slowly consumed by the atrocity his father had committed and.. and then he had foolishly embarked in a path to try and achieve 'the greatest achievement' he could have ever hoped for.

_A_ _hero of justice_.

_**He had lost so much already and yet fate was showing him some cruelty after so many years had gone by.**_

His mind wandered back to a more important subject, the very child he had adopted and his curious behavior.

Shirou was far from the usual boy of his age and he was quick to see how the traumatic experience created by the fire would led the boy to develop this kind of attitude.

Distrust, disinterest and a general disconnection from the real world.

Just like it had happened to the man back when he was but a child himself, back when his childhood was crushed and turned to dust by the horrible events that saw him taken as an apprentice by Natalia.

Yet despite understanding the boy's mindset, Kiritsugu didn't need to have to make any particular research to confirm the little that the youth was hiding something important from him, something that was as dangerous as impossible to understand without further investigation.

Somehow his Circuits were active and in a working state, something he knew didn't match up with the last time he had checked on those back when he had visited the redhead to the hospital.

No longer were those in their dormant and weakened state, rather they seemed slightly improved and… with a higher-quality than before.

When he had decided to not give pursuit to the running child the day before, Kiritsugu had decided to give a look to the boy's room and his little search turned out to be fruitless.

Nothing had been touched nor any magecraft been used.

He had checked on the several small fields he had over this room to determine if someone tried to enter his room during late hours or when the older Emiya wasn't at home and... no one had entered the compound.

It didn't help that he was still recovering from the furious state of mind born by his futile attempt to recover Illya from the Einzbern's care.

Old Acht had decided to _take over_ the guardianship _**of his own daughter**_ to _preserve_ his family's future and had set up the boundaries field to their maximum effect to keep him outsite.

Never in his life the brunet had prayed to plant a bullet on the old puppet's head and destroy the Einzbern family for having slighted him with- WITH THIS DISGUSTING TRICK!

"Kiritsugu."

Dismay gained a major role in his mind as he noticed the detached tone the once cheerful girl had when she addressed him.

A few months of tutoring and building trust with Raiga Fujimura were... gone the moment he had reacted this badly, snapped so childishly at the unexpected development.

Shirou looked positively furious at him but there was also a hint of sadness by the very tip of his lip as his eyes glanced at him with uncertainty among anger.

It seemed like the mistake wasn't only his to share for what had happened yesterday.

"Shirou," He called at him, expecting the boy to look away with an intense stare but… he didn't.

The boy merely stared back at him, keeping his silence before of his legal guardian.

Kind of rebellious and… once again familiar.

For a moment his eyes tricked him as the man saw a small, white-haired girl giving him quite the glare with her lively red eyes, the pout she would only spare to him when he would 'win' the simple game they did around the forest near the castle as a mean to spend some time together.

_**Illya...**_

"I want to apologize for... yesterday," Kiritsugu admitted, gauging his words carefully as he addressed the two children. "Maybe I have been too harsh with Taiga-san and you."

Shirou's eyes widened while the girl's frame stilled in shock at his words, the former Magus Killed acknowledging that he might have let some _emotion_ in his voice, trying to show some genuinety as he blinked in surprise when a tiny but guarded smile appeared on his adopted son's face.

"Thank you for your sincerity and... I would like to apologize too.. Otou-san."

For the first time in a long time ever since he had returned to parenthood, this time without Iri's help, Kiritsugu felt he had made a good step in the right direction to become a good father. Especially with someone this much distrusting as Shirou was.

"I suppose you aren't just there for your son, Emiya-san," Raiga piped in as he took the attention back to something the brunet had hoped to discuss on another day. "It seems that you have breached the contract as much as _I _breached my part."

"You wish to restore it back to the previous form?"

The Yakuza boss sighed and appeared quite serious that very moment.

"Kind of," The elder commented quietly, blinking with an interested look at him. "But I wish to add a particular clause since you... slighted me by behaving so rudely with my granddaughter."

Taiga blushed and her hand took Shirou's instinctively, drawing the boy's focus on her and fueling even more her heating face at the attention she was getting.

"A clause?"

Hopefully, nothing that warranted an organ removal from his part or something even close to the worst punishments the Yakuza was known for.

"I heard about your... little vacation in Europe," The old man commented with a hum. "Germany, right?"

Kiritsugu stilled at that precise 'guess', knowing full well he should have expected the old geezer to actually get curious about this unexpected voyage oversea he had planned so suddenly.

"I know that you are preparing to go in London in few days and.. I think you could bring Shirou and Taiga with you-" "No."

Raiga sighed. "It is not a point I will compromise with, Emiya-san," The boss replied with a sterner tone. "I should have you punished as I see fit, far more than I'm currently doing, _but I feel incredibly merciful knowing that your son is good friend of my granddaughter._"

The former assassin gritted his teeth at the clear ultimatum and considered his options about the delicate matter.

His planned trip to London was supposed to guarantee some equipment to pass through the Boundary Fields around the Einzbern Castle and he was already quite concerned with Clock Tower taking notice of his presence while he was so close to their turf.

Taking Shirou and Taiga with him?

That was just asking for them to be targeted along with him.

"But what about school, Jiji! I cannot skip lessons if I want to-"

"You need some practical experience with your English, Taiga-chan," Raiga interrupted wisely. "In London you will have some first-hand opportunities to smooth out the few imperfections in your accent."

The old man grinned causing some shivers to go down everyone's spines.

"Plus I had talked with your teachers and they _understood_ my logic without much of a fuss."

"Jiji, I-" She paused as she felt her sleeve pulled softly by Shirou. "Uh?"

"It would be like a vacation," The boy mused quietly, thinking about the possibility of getting more documentation around Merlin and.. his current predicament. "Plus I don't want to go alone, neechan-of!"

The honorific was enough to get him instantly glomped by the teen, a big smile in her face. "I will not leave my Otouto alone! Then I will go!"

Another nostalgic pain surged in Kiritsugu's heart as he once more hallucinated momentarily that Taiga's appearance was replaced by Shirley's beautiful self, with her pretty smile and hopeful eyes.

_Parenthood as a single father was going to prove much harder than he had expected..._

_-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-_

It's been two hours now ever since they had returned home and the Gamer had preferred to avoid training that day to avoid causing any other escalations of sort.

Too much had happened just yesterday and he felt he would only raise suspicion with his guardian if he _went for a walk to the park _now of all times for the sake of some quiet training.

Shirou stared silently at Kiritsugu as his adoptive father was trying to apply some bandages to the ugly wound that he had stretching on his back.

He glanced at the few bandages in the kotatsu near him and sighed.

Previously showing slim annoyance to the fact he couldn't reach where the extremity of his injury was, the man seemed surprised when another pair of hands helped him to apply the fresh, new bandages. "Shirou?"

The redhead nodded and Kiritsugu turned to look at him.

"How did you activate your Circuits?"

...

"Shirou?"

He pressed further and Shirou's subtle panic rose further at the fact he _had forgotten about that completely._

"I-I cannot tell, it's… not bad."

That was the most intelligent thing that would leave his mind as the man put his jacket on and fully focused on him.

"Shirou, I am going to ask this because there is only another way you could have activated your Circuits and... _I need to know_." The adult pressed on.

The redhead blinked in fear at the _demanding _tone in Kiritsugu's voice but... he decided that he could _at least_ tell him about the Core.

But first there was something that the boy _needed to know_.

"Before I answer, I wanted to know... what is inside me?"

The man froze, his eyes wide open at that unexpected query but he replied nonetheless.

"When I found you... you were too far to be truly saved by normal means," He pointed one of his fingers onto the child's chest. "I had an artifact, Avalon, that was capable of healing its users from the worst of injuries."

"Is... is it a scabbard?" The boy pressed more, remembering the cryptic choice of words from the wizard.

"Yes. It was the.. scabbard of Excalibur, King Arthur's sword," He replied curtly, then blinking and sporting some more confusion. "But why those questions, Shirou?"

"I... I had this weird... dream-not-dream with a man that said he was Merlin and... he did this."

Kiritsugu blinked at the confusing explanation. "What did he do exactly? Can you please explain some more?"

The Gamer gulped nervously but slowly nodded at the request.

"H-He said something about a Magic Core and-" Shirou was interrupted the moment his guardian pulled him closed and studied by starting to look at one of his hands.

Soon, the man's stare moved along the arm and ended up in the central zone of his torso, eyes widening the more he looked at that area in silence.

"Unbelievable... this, this is something I- Why then he didn't-"

"Tousan?"

The man blinked as he remembered that he was now ranting in front his the boy. "S-Sorry, Shirou. You should go to your room and get yourself changed before dinner."

Shirou frowned but the child complied to his adoptive father's request, a single question riddling his mind senselessly.

_**What had made the usually stoic man this much panicked? And why he felt that he was close to the truth now more than ever?**_

* * *

**AN**

**Sadly, no Gamer elements this chapter but next one will have some extra training and Shirou actually meeting someone in the park (P.S. It is not Rin!).**

**Why is Kiritsugu planning to go in London?**** Knowing the former Magus Killer, it isn't far-fetched to theorize about him trying to find something to breach the Einzbern's barrier via barely legal means. Obviously in Canon that didn't happen but... Shirou is going to be there and four individuals are going to make a super early cameo compared to the first draft!**

**What?! You mean that Illya Saga is not the first Saga after tutorial?**** As I said in the beginning of this beautiful rework, I am trying to follow the rules of Nasuverse and.. some of Real Life. Sending Shirou this early on will only spell doom for him but Kiritsugu will... No, I think that would be *spoiler*!**

**Wouldn't it be convenient to have Kiritsugu know about the Game?**** Nope. While he would be the best plan-maker, he would possible return to his old steps to try and push Shirou in the harsh path. Right now Kiritsugu is barely out of his former idealism and it will take some time before our protagonist will truly reveal his cards to him.**

**What about Taiga? Why is she going in London too?**** Two reasons: A) A solution to moderate Shirou's sense of adventure and B) I want to have her met Waver... for the second time. **_**The Outsiders' Performance**_** is still canon after all. xD**

**About the Pairing War in the reviews****: While I love the fact you are all happily proposing your ships, I will have to stop you right here... for now. At the moment there is no poll nor I certainly will develop any pairing now that most of the cast is this young. What do you think I am? Some Fan-Service-loving Author? (That is why I like it more to read the FKLPI Manga than watch the anime, less fanservice and more details lost in the Anime.)**

**About next week****: It is a possibility (not 100% sure) but I might be unable to write stuff in the next.. two weeks. The issue is mostly related to the fact I have serious exams and I almost flunked hard last session. I need to focus super-hard this time and.. I will have to take a small pause to fix my current Uni situation. I apologize if I am unable to update **_**anything**_** in this period.**

**Review Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you and I have some good plans with Kiritsugu and Illya. Can't say much but... I don't think I want Kerry to die like in the first draft.**

**Redrangerlegacy****: Possible but.. I dunno. It is far too early to say for sure.**

**YuukiAsuna-Chan****: Merlin is capable of quite some feats. While early in FGO he was last documented to be still jailed inside Garden of Avalon, he was sighted aiding Charlemagne and his Paladins. In this story this arrangement was temporary because Gaia noticed he had literally 'broken her rules' and was sent back in his 'prison' with more control from the Will of the Planet. He isn't the usual Magus, all thanks to his Incubus father having a strong magical connection and giving him the ability to grasp true magic and yes, there is a documented being Merlin had created a Core for and that is... Artoria. About Shirou, he doesn't have Gamers Mind but something similar and the reason he is 'too emotional' is because there isn't much known about the ten years between Zero and Stay Night. The few fragments that are visible about him is mostly is general distrust towards Taiga but... he is quite warm with her in FSN? I think that there are 'episodes' of his life that have made him change his attitude towards Taiga and others. I'm sorry if this 7 years old Shirou is not 17 years old Shirou. (Just noticed the pairing suggestion and I am into it but... I have time to decide what to do so... Thank you and have a nice day!)**

**The Last Kenpachi****: Actually no. I made it quite cringey the first few chapters and screwed last Arc of that draft. Hopefully I will not screw here too..**

**antenesis****: Will take note but Pairings will appears later on!**

**PasiveNox****: Thank you!**

**Guest (Chapter 5)****: Took note but pairings will appear much later!**

**Nox****: I understand your preference and I will focus mostly on few girls in the Harem but.. I kind of will have some 'background members' that will have very little chance at that. I know it will break some people's hearts but I cannot force a pairing through if it is too unrealistic by the rules (or 'Main girls have a major chance at Shirou').**

**Cadelorbe12****: You sunk my battleship! (But seriously '3' what?)**


	7. Bow (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**** Bow (1)**

* * *

If there was something that Shirou Emiya wouldn't have imagined to do in those simple days in Fuyuki, it was training with real bow and arrows at the park with Taiga.

Things had returned to a sudden but pleasant normality after the whole ordeal that had happened yesterday but the friction between Taiga and Kiritsugu had twisted the once friendly relationship on a permanent degree.

Her dreamy looks when the man was around were all gone, replaced by a more moderate, softer stances that certainly motivated the change of tone in their connection.

The brunette maintained a calm outlook but no more she looked to be crushing on the dark-haired Emiya, instead accepting that the situation was a half-formal but not capable of be expanded upon.

It was something that had been perfectly identified by the way now-quieter Fujimura behaved when she would come around for her English lessons.

Shirou had seen it and he knew that Kiritsugu had taken noticed of some cold hints in the girl's voice when she would bring to his attention about some issue she was having with some topics of the foreign subject.

But that wasn't the only change the Gamer had noticed with the Young Tiger of Fuyuki much to his inner confusion and surprise.

While the girl wouldn't miss the chance to visit the Emiya's household, her reasons were solely motivated by Shirou and Shirou only.

And while the boy was glad that she hadn't grown discouraged from keeping her usual scheduled visits, the attention she could spoil him with tended to get quite irritating in singular moments.

Right now, there was no pestering, nor any irritating topic being brought up by the girl, instead they were dealing with quite the curious hobby.

It was Saturday and Taiga had arrived earlier than usual that day, but the surprise wasn't limited by her mere early presence to the household.

She was donning the classic kyūdōka (Archer) uniform and holding two Yumi (Japanese bow), two pairs of Ippongake (One-finger gloves for beginners) and two Yazutsu (Quivers) with several Ya (Japanese Arrows) each.

"Shirou-kun! We are going to practice to the park!"

... "What?"

Surprisingly enough (or maybe not so much as he had hoped), Kiritsugu had been quite quick to accept the Fujimaru's offer of taking Shirou out for a _walk to the local park_.

The girl was smiling eye to eye as she took the lead role in guiding him to.. the very place he knew well where it was after spending several hours walking by it.

As a lone child with no friends and a general need to wander around, the park did seem like the best place where to spend his free time between training, studying and other situations.

Yet what truly made this scene quite absurd and insane to look at was the fact that she was holding one of his hands with her left palm, while the other was shockingly keeping a strong hold over the numerous objects she had been taking around while showing no difficulty with the task.

...Was this an example of how higher POW was going to be in the future?

His thoughts about any attempt to progress in his process of leveling up were crushed the mere moment the girl pulled him forward and right beside her, the boy knowing he had slowed down for a brief moment with that distracting thought.

"Ne Shirou-kun, what got you this distracted?" Her smile turned teasing for a moment before showing some mock-sadness in her features. "Have you met a cute girl? A-Are you going to leave your Taiga-neechan?!"

He frowned at the attempt and decided to return the favour. "I've been stuck until now at home but... why are you not considering yourself cute, Taiga-nee?"

The effects of his implied compliment was almost immediate, Taiga almost stumbling in surprise at the comeback.

"You- I- You- _You are funny, Shirou-kun, hahahahaha!_" Her forced laughter didn't convince anyone and she noticed this by his growing smile on his face.

"Meanie Shirou-kun, playing with a girl's heart," She pouted and for few moments there was silence.

...

"Pffft-hahahhahahahha!" Shirou chuckled together with the girl at the quite amusing act that had come out of the previous moments.

"Shirou-kun, promise me you are not going to turn boring," She stopped and turned to stare at him. "Will you?"

He blinked, tilting his head in confusion at her words. "Okay?"

She nodded quickly, her face strangely enough turning red and her pace suddenly increasing as they reached the park a few minutes later.

They choose a spot that had a fence nearby for the practice and the girl started to place some mini-targets made of paper on the small gaps of the wood-made construction.

"Okay Shirou-kun, look closely what I am going to do with the bow and arrow! It is actually easy."

He slowly nodded but appreciated he wasn't going to be pushed to do something without a clear knowledge of what he was supposed to do.

The boy was mere feet away from Taiga as she took a Ya and cocked it in her Yumi, closing one of her eyes as he took aim of one of the targets she had just finished to prepare.

"Now there are 8 stages when preparing to use the bow."

Her feet adjusted firmly by the ground. "(Ashibumi) First is the footing, the archer is supposed to step onto the line from where the Ya are shot (shai) and makes sure their left side is facing the target."

Her back straightened, her body getting still and rigid, but flexible and cautious. "(Dokuzuri) The archer has to make sure that their body is right on the shai and that their shoulders are parallel to it."

"The third step (Yugamae) is quite complex," Her voice grew soft as she prepared for the main phases of the act. "I take grip of the bowstring with my right hand (Torikake), while my left hand is positioned on the bow's body for the shooting (Tenouchi), my head turns to... gaze at the target (Monomi)."

She lifted the bow above. "The bow is raised above my head (Uchiokoshi)."

The Emiya was mesmerized by the collected explanation, somewhat endeared by this side displayed by Taiga. Still, she was far from done and he kept quiet as she continued.

"And then I bring it down while starting to draw, spreading my arms apart by pushing the bow with my left hand and drawing the string with the right (Hikiwake). First, there is a midway point (Daisan)."

Taiga proceeded with the process with meticulous attention. "Then there is the full draw (Kai) which is achieved when the Ya is placed below the cheekbone or at the same level with the mouth, while the Ya is aiming at the shai."

"And then... the release (Hanare)." The Ya rapidly flew out of the bow and toward one of the six targets, almost getting right on its center-spot.

"Lastly, there should be the 'remaining body or mind' or 'the continuation of the shot' (Zanshin) but I suppose it could be skipped since this isn't an official competition." She turned to stare at the shocked expression of the redhead, frowning at it.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" She asked with some nervousness, slightly panicked even.

The Gamer blinked as his attention turned at the question.

Wrong? His surprise was mostly caused by the very opposite of that word.

Sure, Taiga had shown some incredible seriousness during Kendo practices and that she was putting some efforts but the girl sounded so precise and so accurate with archery that it made her appear… like if she was another person altogether.

The boy was almost tempted to ask her 'what had happened to her' but he was sure he would get beaten up because of the dumb question.

"N-no, actually you were quite good."

Her face glowed in happiness at the praise.

"Really?" At his nod she released a small 'yatta'. "I've studied seriously to become cool and... I made Shirou-kun awestruck!"

Ignoring that very last bit, Shirou frowned. "So... can I try it?"

She nodded and went to pick the second Yumi and the entire Yazutsu with it.

**-Interesting Hobby-**

**Time Limit: Null**

**Taiga is giving you the opportunity to try out archery. Sure, it isn't something usual for a child your age to try but... it is cool! Try to hit the remaining targets!**

**Hints**

**Be calm, ask questions to your 'sensei' if you are in doubt and be happy with whatever result you get.**

**Reward**

**-50 EXP-**

**(Secret Objective) -?-**

**-Improve Taiga's closeness-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Permanent Malus: Lazy Archer-**

**-Improve Taiga's closeness-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

Shirou accepted earnestly the challenge and took the longbow without hesitation, careful enough with the large size of the wood-string instrument.

Before starting, he made a quick recount of the whole process only nodding to himself once he got the idea fully grasped within his mind.

Yet as he started to take stance, he felt a curious breeze caressing him and getting him slightly unfocused.

It was confusing since there was no wind in that calm day and it seemed that he was the only one perceiving it for some reason..

He started to slowly take position and..

**Karada wa …. de …...**

He blinked as the wind started to pick up, yet he continued the process.

**…. wa tetsu .. … garasu**

Shirou felt his body growing cold but his mind steeled as he started to stretch the bow.

**Tada no … mo … wa naku**

His mind grew more hesitant as something felt _wrong_ with what he was doing. Yet the bow was now fully stretched and ready for the next step.

**…. .. ichido .. rikai ….**

The boy brought down the bow, a bead of sweat pouring down his forehead in that neverending storm brewing in his soul.

**Yue ni …. ni … wa naku**

The arrow shoot quickly out of the bow and the strength behind it was enough to pierce the target and make it fall on the ground.

_**Sono karada wa kitto-**_

"SO COOL!"

That reverie was broken the moment Taiga rushed at him with a shocked expression with some awing denotations.

"You managed to perfectly take the targets and... so quickly too!"

...What?

His eyes returned their attention to the fallen target... s?.

He had hit all of them but... it had felt like he had taken out just one of them with the time that had passed.

What was going on with him!

**Ding! You completed the 'Interesting Hobby' quest. Here are your rewards:**

**-50 EXP-**  
**-(+2 AGI!)-**

But what was that? He had tried to ignore it when it had happened back with the Kendo practice but this was starting to happen frequently.

**-Distorted Realization-**

**Time Limit: Null**

**Your perception of reality is somehow different than the normal human being. Something is strange, **_**unique**_** within you and you want to discover what it is.**

**Hints**

**Don't stress yourself to find a quick answer to this dilemma. It is advised to not solve this Quest before LVL30.**

**Reward**

**-?-**

**(Secret Objective) -?-**

**-?-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Null-**

**Accept?**

**Y/Y**

Wait! Why couldn't he refuse this Quest and.. what did it mean he was advised to not complete it 'early on'?

This dilemma persisted even half an hour later when Taiga did something he would never expect from her.

"I'm sorry, Shirou-kun," Taiga looked like she was meaning it, yet the nervous twitching make it awkward. "But Rai-jiji called me and he seemed serious so... bye!"

"No, wai-"

But the girl was already gone, the entire equipment busying her hands as she ran away from where he was standing silently.

He sighed as he decided to take a nap in the park, feeling that he seriously needed some rest from that whole predicament.

Shirou decided to NOT choose the very spot to rest, knowing full well that during that time children, his age or younger, would soon start to linger around and disrupt any attempt to rest a little.

So the Gamer spent few minutes around the natural location, trying to find a secluded place where to sleep.

His endeavor led him to walk deeper in the park, entering through the tree-dense area that made up the core of the park.

The boy spotted a small clearing that was mostly covered from annoying sun-rays thanks to the trees' branches creating a sole but extended shade over the place.

The boy sat with his back leaning on one of the trees' trunk and slowly closed his eyes as he let the soreness born from that strange occurrence help him to catch some rest.

* * *

An unfamiliar warmth started to slowly spread from his left shoulder and arm, forcing Shirou to calmly wake up from his quick nap.

His eyelids carefully opened but he caught the first hints about the origin of such warmth quite immediately by the presence of _green on his sight_.

A light-green sleeve culminated with a frail, feminine hands was the first thing he saw when he blinked awake, his attention caught by the situation he was right now.

His stare moved to the side and he soon arrived to the owner of the dress and limb.

The woman had long, green-hair and eyes of the same color, looking incredibly pale on her face but still healthy enough to appear like she was fine.

She was a beautiful woman, one he had never seen before but for some reason there was something odd about her.

The main issue of that very predicament was that... she was currently staring at him, a blank expression with an empty smile plastered in her face.

It took him a large part of his mind to restrain himself from jumping in fright at the closeup with this confusing individual but he soon recovered from his initial panic and soon he was trying to understand what was going on.

"W-Who are you?" He asked bluntly, his brain hardly out of his sleepy stance and formality ditched at the suddennes of the situation.

She didn't answer... actually she barely reacted at the question, her expression twitching softly and seemingly unaware of what was just said.

"L-Lady?"

A blink, her eyes gaining a small, fragmented light of clarity.

"A-Aoi," She spoke softly, almost an untraceable whisper to his ears.

Her tone was hoarse, tired and strained as if she was putting a serious effort in merely speaking.

"Aoi-san?" He tried to confirm that it was her name.

Another blink and the boy took it as a 'nod' to his question, causing him to smile tensely and nodding himself.

"My name is Shirou," He introduced himself, wary of any escalation.

But nothing truly happened.

Maybe it was just a mistaken sight but the Gamer felt like her smile had widened just a small bit with his introduction.

"Why are you here, Aoi-san?" The boy continued to ask, confused over the mysterious lady.

Once again, the woman didn't answer at first, her eyes fixed on him.

Why did she felt this... detached from reality?

It wasn't merely tiredness as he had initially thought, the woman's response (or lack thereof) was quite confused and worrying to a fair degree.

"A-Are you okay?" He finally asked, trying to see if there was something he could do about her strange condition.

Aoi blinked again but her head moved wobbled forward before moving back.

Was that a nod? Maybe but... What was going on with the woman, was she sick? Could he help her somehow?

Nothing popped up. No quest, no immediate skills or trait and Shirou was left unsure of what to do about this situation.

He was left quite clueless with what he was supposed to do in that exact moment.

Shirou decided to slowly stand up, noticing that her stare followed him but with a slow pace compared than a normal person.

"Are you okay?" He repeated the question once more, his hopes of getting some answers now quite low but-

"S-Shi-Shirou." The whisper reached his ears as the woman tried to lift her hands towards him, for some reason having trouble with that.

"D-Do you want to get up?"

Aoi kept quiet at his words but her eyes seemed to slightly light up at the inquiry and the Gamer took it as a 'yes'.

So he started to carefully move to pick both of her hands as he tried to pull her up, using most of his strength as he didn't get any effort from the woman herself in this predicament.

Yet this attempt seemed to work as the beautiful lady started to slowly rise up from her seat on the ground and was finally brought up to stand up.

Her hands were placed on his shoulder and Shirou was thankful that her legs were capable of taking some of her own weight without pushing its fullest onto him.

He made one slow step, then one another and soon they were moving out of that clearing, directing her towards the path he had followed to reach the place.

"Shi-Shirou."

He blinked and gave her a quick glance, but the woman was not looking at him, staring around aimlessly.

"S-Shi-Shi-Shirou."

What was she doing?

Finally they reached back to the park trails and a woman dressed in a maid's clothes rushed at them with a wheelchair the moment they were visible to her.

"Tohsaka-sama! Thank God I found you and-" The stranger's eyes turned dark as she glared at Shirou.

"Who are you, brat? Why are you harassing, Tohsaka-sama!?"

It was an unexpected turn of events and Shirou didn't what to say... yet something truly _unexpected happened_.

He felt a hand reaching for his own and squeezing softly. Aoi's smile was a little more... eased.

"Shirou."

Her voice was clear and the word left her mouth without any of the previous straining blocks and stuttering.

And he realized why she was calling his name back then.

She had been trying to get his name fully clear... to thank him?

Maybe this was stretching too far but... he smiled and nodded at her. "You are welcome, Aoi-san."

Her hold tightened just a little more before truly letting him go, the servant staring at the exchange in barely-veiled surprise but sparing no further look as she turned the wheelchair and walked away with the curious woman.

_**...Truly curious.**_

* * *

**AN**

**It's been a long time and I know many are literally vibrating with impatience at the time I have wasted around but... I kind of told you all I was doing exams and I am already struggling with my schedule.**

**That is why I had been warning you all since the first chapter I would have some issue to have a regular updating system with this story... but that doesn't mean I am by any chances putting any Hiatus.**

**So, what is the plan?**** The show must go on and there will be a mini-arc before Shirou leaves for Britain and I think you all can see what it is about.**

**I was actually expecting either Sakura or Julian to be the one Shirou would first met, why it was **_**her**_**?**** Aoi is a complex character because of the myriad of flaws in her personality and frail resolve. She is guilty of many things but to condemn her now that she is close to be in a vegetative state seems extreme even for my tastes. She has paid for her lack of action about Sakura and how she had failed to see what had happened to Kariya and I will not hurt her further than she had already been dealt with.**

**Does that mean we will see... some priest sooner than we expected?**** Prepare your Mapo Tofus as I have plans to bring the fake priest early on in the story but... it is going to be weird.**

**It was interesting the whole Archery thing but-?**** I have spent a whole hour trying to get the terms perfectly matched and 'not-copy' wikipedia with its description by rewriting the steps BUT I kind of messed up with the bow. It is a long bow and Shirou shouldn't be tall enough to be able to use it... if it wasn't a customised one. Yes, the bow he used was slightly smaller so he could use it. Taiga cares for her otouto.**

**For those who don't know about Aoi's conditions or thought she died in Fate/Zero****: Aoi survived the strangled attempt from Kariya but the experience left her brain damaged and almost comatose at first. Because of her state, Kirei is the current regent of the Tohsaka's affairs and property while also Rin's tutor in Magecraft.**

**Review Q&A!**

**PasiveNox****: Thank you!**

**claymaster27****: Yes.**

**HarmonyDST05****: When he goes to UK he will be able to get his hands in some magecraft books. The whole 'smelling prana' will be one of the skills he will gain and will work as a sonar for magical energy.**

**merendinoemiliano****: I am failing that last warning! xD**

**Cadelorbe12****: Thank you!**

**The Last Kenpachi****: I think the emergency directives (Ruler, Apocrypha etc.) have been removed by the corruption itself to not deal with some overpowered Servant. Still there is a chance to summon a Grand Servant.**

**Guest (Chapter 6)****: Thank you!**

**Guest (Chapter 3)****: Muramasa theorise this but it is a mere thought. Possibly because Shirou's body is capable of keeping up with his skills.**

**Golden Light 001****: Thank you!**

**xcution 409****: It is here and I hope you understand that I cannot update regularly as stated up above in the AN.**

**ALSO HERE IS THE UPDATED STATUS MENU:**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Gamer**

**Age: 7**

**Level 9 - Exp: 78.56%**

**Health Points (HP) : 440**

**Mana Points (MP): 1000 (+45 MP/m)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 26 **

**INT: 24 **

**AGI: 30**

**WIS: 26 **

**VIT: 31 **

**CHA: 19 **

**LUK: 20**

**Skills**

**Gamer Body (LVL Max.) - Congratulations, your body had been turned into one influenced by the rules of the Game Module. This Skill is present in all Users from the very beginning.**

**Unbreakable Willpower (LVL Max.) - The hardships of your life had been making you stronger than the average human being. Risk of Possession and Mind Control are reduced by the 75%.**

**Noble Soul (LVL Max.) - Having experienced the worst trauma, you know the pain and sufferings of others. Your Soul is brave and determined enough to let you become whatever you wish.**

**Charged Attack (LVL. 2/10) - Deliver a powerful strike against your opponent! The ATK is determined by STR*5! (Cost: 40MP)**

**Beginners' Luck (Non-Level Skill) - This temporary Skill will add a EXP multiplier related to LUK for Skills and LVLs. Expiration Level: LVL 10.**

**Traits**

**Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.**

**Sword Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of swordmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Sword-Type weapon.**

**Bow Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of Bowmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Bow-Type weapon.**


	8. Bow (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**** Bow (2)**

* * *

When Shirou returned back home, he was glad that Kiritsugu wasn't anywhere near the entrance and the living room as the boy had much to think about.

It was possible the man had left out for a walk few moments after he had gone with Taiga, leaving the house empty once more.

He tiptoed toward his room and closed the door behind him, reaching for his bed and sat on it, his mind wandering on the mysterious woman he had just met in the park.

Aoi was a complex puzzle, one that had so little clues about it that Shirou partly felt the need to not give it too much thought... but there was something about her that made him perplexed, confused and quite curious about her story.

Something that made him feel he connected to her for some reason.

The fire? Unlikely since he knew Kiritsugu was the only one being there.

So when he had seen her before?

There were an impressive number of questions formulated within his head and none he knew he could answer.

It was an unfair predicament, one that he felt the need to find an answer too and yet... he sighed, lowering himself on the bed and looking at the ceiling with a blank look.

There was so much he could think about in this situation, several theories, multiple possibilities and yet nothing made a single string of sense in the end.

Why?

The short but truest question echoed within himself as he tried to find a reason to truly care about this.

Why should he be interested in knowing what had happened to Aoi? Why he should even approach that very difficult situation if it it as difficult as he think it is?

Maybe he was merely overreacting about that very weird encounter, trying to make sense of the nonsense he had been part of and... yet he felt he was being wrong with this theory.

Deep inside his soul, he could feel like he was meant to investigate the matter further-

**[Warning! A set of actions has triggered a new Quest]**

**-The Jade and the Sapphire-**

**Time Limit: Unknown**

**Aoi -?- is a very intriguing woman afflicted with an unknown illness. Find out if she is for some related to you and the fire or not.**

**Hints**

**You might find some obstacles you can't overcome right now. Don't do anything stupid.**

**Reward**

**-1000 Yen-**

**-LVL UP-**

**-Increase closeness with: Aoi -?-**

**-Increase closeness with: -?-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Decrease closeness with: Aoi -?-**

**-Decrease closeness with: -?-**

**-?- Route is closed permanently-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

...What was he supposed to make out of this development?

Sure, the Game could be trying to push him in the right direction but the wording of the description left much unsaid.

It wasn't clearly stating that there was something there that waited to be found out by him, nor it opposed any efforts to determine any relation he might have with the ill woman.

It was a big step, one Shirou hardly knew how to make towards this goal as he didn't even knew where she lived.

The Game was starting to sound much more difficult that he had thought it was.

The magazine might have helped him up to understand the basics of what was his life now but there was nothing else left to prepare him to this incredibly complex development.

So the boy decided to think about this issue... later. For some reason the experience today at the park had left him quite depleted and the boy was quite eager to get some rest going since no one was there to annoy him in any shape or form.

He sighed loudly, closing his eyes and letting some of the tiredness take him away from the real world.

There was so much to do but enough time to do it calmly..

"_SHIROUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!_"

The Gamer groaned as he turned around and tried to find his pillow, feeling the care of one Taiga Fujimura pouncing at him with the speed of light.

**-10HP!**

Love was painful...

* * *

Rin Tohsaka stared mutedly at her mother as she smiled in her wheelchair, playing with a small teddy bear, blue eyes wide open at the unexpected name leaving the green-haired beauty's lips.

The woman had returned to the house just a hour ago and the young Head of the clan was in the large living room of the mansion, trying to finish some of the troublesome homework Kirei had left for her to complete.

Usually she would give just a glance to her mother, the delusional woman spending most of her time sitting in her chair, calling once in a while for her, Sakura or her late husband.

The first few days were the worst, when she was still recovering from her father's passing and being orphaned by the very War Tokiomi Tohsaka had been certain to win for the family.

She glanced once again to be sure that her mother was still there and- "Shirou."

Rin dropped her pen the moment the unknown sound reached her ears, eyes widening in confusion and surprise.

D-Did her mother just- "Shirou."

She blinked at the scene, unable to grasp how- _why her mother was repeating that word?_

Aiko-san, the maid that took care of her mother, entered the living room carrying a small cup of tea, placing it near Rin's table, avoiding to spill any of the content on the papers there.

The young woman paused at the little girl's suprised look towards her mother. "Something's wrong with Aoi-sama, Rin-san?"

Blue eyes turned towards the maid and Rin seemed ready to say something when- "Shirou."

They both turned to the frail lady, hugging the teddy bear close to her chest and letting a small noise from her mouth.

It was in that moment that the young Tohsaka was reminded of her mother's chuckles, something that had disappeared the same moment her father had died.

"M-Mom?" For some reason she was expecting to be greeted back, just like it had been in the past but..

Aoid didn't react as her daughter called for her, continuing to quietly caress the plushie and smile a worryless smile.

"It has to be that boy.." The heiress turned to the maid with a confused expression. A boy?

"W-What are you talking about, Aiko-san?" The woman sighed tiredly as she moved toward her mother.

"I took Aoi-sama for a walk in the park, to let her enjoy some time outside and.. for half a hour she went missing."

Her mother went... missing? And for half a hour?

Sure, there had been instances where the woman would try to move away from her wheelchair for simple reasons but... she eluded the good maid for a long time when she was supposed to be watched almost every moments of her day.

"Then I found her being helped to walk by a red-haired boy out of a small clearing and she... said his name."

...This was ludicrous. The whole tale sounded so surreal as Rin herself remembered when the doctor had diagnosed her mother to be uncapable of truly memorising new names, that the task would be far too difficult because of the brain damage.

And yet she managed to not only learn the new of this boy but also learn to say it without a stutter. It was an impressive news as it was somehow disheartening since Rin would have liked if it was her name, not the one of a complete stranger, to be the spark of some positive development.

With a sigh, Rin's mind cleared out this little disappointment to stare at the big picture of the situation. Someone had managed to give some hope for a recovery for her mother.

If she hadn't been studying magecraft for a while, the young Tohsaka would be calling it a miracle of sort but.. she was way too logical to define this change as such.

"Did you tell about this to... Kirei?" The maid frowned at the question but replied with a quick 'No', giving Rin some fresh hopes of truly helping her mother.

She wouldn't go as far to say that her father's former apprentice was willingly damaging the clan but she was quite sure the man wasn't good in administering something this complex, being from a family that didn't require much bureaucratic interventions to sustain.

There was a lot to think about and she was surely going to see whom this boy was before choosing what to do on the matter.

Rin decided that it was best to leave this thoughts for a latter moment as she felt the increasing need to finish to read this annoying treatise about Gradation Air and its simple uses.

Seriously, who would be so dumb to specialise with such basic form of magecraft.

* * *

Training had turned into a dull experience for one Kirei Kotomine.

The man continued the pushups he had set to finish in less than half a hour, bare-chested and sweating.

In the past training would have been a moment to think as he keep his body in shape. To think about his twisted nature, any possible resolutions and... Kiritsugu Emiya.

The man had been something that had plagued his mind as he wished he could use his experiences, his similarities to redeem himself from the harsh but truthful fate he had been born with.

But nothing had emerged from the encounter, just further confusion and disappointment about the man. His life spent only for his family? He had tried this already, he reminded himself saying so to the Magus Killer.

Part of him wondered how was Caren doing right now...

Silently he stood up, having completed the activity, and started to stretch a little before continuing with his strict regime.

Life had turned incredibly empty ever since the Holy Grail War had finished, leaving the Kotomine to deal with the aftermath of the conflict and the results of his actions.

He had been quite uncertain how to deal with Aoi and the brat, initially thinking of killing them by causing some accident but the two were untouchable for him to deal with.

The Tohsaka Clan was far too much influential with the Magus Association and the Church and trying to assassinate the remains of the once renowned family would force both organisations to investigate the case, something that would easily see him executed for treason.

A dreadful fate for someone that had so much pain to cause around this terrible world and that is why Kirei decided to be quite patient with the two females.

The man had started to slowly dissipate the economical means of the family in failing investments and supporting controversial elements within the Clock Tower and the Church.

A slow process that would bring some sweet results to the 'merciful' priest. He could already hear their pained screams, so delightful- "Kotomine."

The priest froze as he noticed Gilgamesh walking towards him, holding one of the wine bottles from the church's basement, something the Servant was now usually doing during his stay in the building.

"My king?"

A familiar scowl appeared in the former Archer's face as he stared dully at the priest, the man unable to look away in fear of being punished.

"Someone is going to be brought to the Tohsaka's mansion soon. He will be the piece that changes the board."

Kirei blinked at the curious words, sensing that there was more there that was left unsaid, and thus he asked.

"And what I should do about him, my king?"

He had expected an order, some demands from the King of Heroes as continued to silently stare at him.

But nothing else was said, making the priest frown just for a moment and- Kirei quickly dodged a rapid lance thrown at him by the Archer, the blade slamming in the floor right in the position the priest was once occupying..

"Do you demand from me instructions, Kotomine?" His tone was cold and promising pain to the man. "I will not accept any other slight from you regarding this. Know only that a mistake from your actions will led to my wrath."

A threat that the priest found quite interesting but also quite suicidal for him.

Any actions he might take with this individual, whom he had no idea who it is and what he looks like, might led him to survive or die by Gilgamesh's hand.

As the golden-haired Servant left his training room, Kirei stared at the floor with a blank look.

Soon a smile appeared on his face, a familiar sense of danger and sorrow starting to resurface within his soul.

Yes, he thought joyously, things were going to become interesting once more!

He returned to his training, newfound determination pushing him to prepare himself to the best as he knew that whoever he was going to met, the priest was supposed to properly greet him, may it be in **a good or bad manner.**

* * *

Shirou sneezed and the girl sitting on his bed was quick to pick her own handkerchief and bring it to his nose. "There."

A blush appeared on his face as he tried to make sense of what Taiga had just told him.

"So Raiga-san-" "Jiji!" "..Raiga-jiji had just tripped on some paperwork, suffering no damage whatsoever, and yet everyone was panicking about it?"

She nodded quickly, looking a little bit pale, and the boy sighed in disbelief at how easy to worry the girl was.

"B-But what if it had been something truly serious and-" "I am not saying anything, Taiga-neechan."

Taiga nodded once more, pulling the redhead youth in a quick embrace. "But I forgot you in the park!"

"I am fine and.. I got to met someone interesting there."

"Is that so?" The girl asked teasingly. "This 'someone interesting' was a cute girl?"

"It was a beautiful woman." At the honest and blunt reply, the Fujimura almost choke on nothing. "But she was sick."

..."Really?" Taiga asked again, this time a concerned note in her voice. "It wasn't anything contagious or-" "She couldn't react properly, spoke barely."

The girl frowned. "That is... sad." She muttered while ruffling his hair. "Do you know what is her name?"

"Aoi-"

_"Tohsaka-sama! Thank God I found you and-"_

_"Who are you, brat? Why are you harassing, Tohsaka-sama!?"  
_

Shirou closed his mouth and chided himself for having forgotten that very bit of their encounter.

"Aoi? No surname?"

He sighed but he knew that the girl would have certainly have not heard of the woman. "Tohsaka Aoi."

The boy turned to stare at Taiga and frowned when he saw her staring at him in surprise.

"You met the widow of the late Tohsaka-san? I had thought they had moved out already since the accident.."

He blinked once. "Accident?"

"Not much is known about it but..." The girl sighed gravely. "The woman is said to have suffered some brain damage and that is why she might have seem unreactive once in a while."

Shirou nodded as he now had an important clue for this endless mystery.

But how far was from the truth and... what had truly happened to Tohsaka Aoi?

* * *

**AN**

**Next chapter will see a tsundere and the Emiya meeting up for the first time... breaking the Canon.**

**Also Kirei is on the move... Dangit Gilgamesh!**

**EDIT: I forgot to add one last part to the chapter. Now it is complete!**

**Why is Gilgamesh interested in Shirou? Is this some sort of Deus-Ex Machina?!**** Nope, the reason Gilly is interested in Shirou can be summarised in 2 parts: 1) Gilgamesh knows that something is off in this timeline and Shirou is the cause of this change; 2) Gilgamesh knows that Shirou has Avalon within his body. The King still wishes to have 'his wife' to return and he wishes to have her accepting willingfully his proposal, not under Kirei's possible use of a Command Spell.**

**You said that Shirou was supposed to be invited to the Tohsaka Mansion this chapter?**** I noticed that such action would be... weird. Why? Well, Aoi is certainly uncapable of doing things and right now what Rin can hear is a name, nothing else. It would be plain weird to invite someone in their house without having a clear picture of who they are.**

**SO THERE IS GOING TO BE A HOLY GRAIL WAR, YE FILTHY LIAR!**** Yes and no. Seiba might be coming much later in this story and no, it will not be because a canon 5th Grail War. It is... complicated but interesting. Let's just say that Shirou is getting thrown in the most difficult situation ever.  
**

**Review Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano****: No, magi will not take Shirou... at least not the bad bunch. Maybe a blonde girl will start to annoy quite early on.. also thank you for the support!**

**Golden Light 001****: Thank you!**

**PasiveNox:**** Yep and thank you!**

**JumpingToaster****: I understand, I still have to show some action and I promise some is planned to happen quite soon. Still thank you and I hope I will not disappoint you in the end.**

**Guest (Chapter 7)****: And you are a beautiful boi and I hope you will achieve your dreams. :)**


	9. Bow (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**** Bow (3)**

* * *

Shirou Emiya partly regretted having had a nap in the open for a long time the previous day.

When Kiritsugu had come to knock at his room's door, the boy woke up with quite the heavy sensation in his nose.

Oddly tired and quite sloppy in his movements, his guardian has easily diagnosed it as a mere case of cold.

That is why when Taiga had asked him to come to the park early in the morning, he had to wear a small white mask and a simple hat to cover his sore ears.

He wondered if Fujimura would have recognised him with that pseudo-camouflage and... he was forgotten.

At first he had thought that the girl was just going to be late as she would once in a while do so with her lessons but then an hour passed and he was still alone.

It was after that moment of waiting that he remembered a very crucial detail that Taiga had to have forgotten about today.

She had double lessons of Kendo today early in the morning and.. she had forgotten about that.

Disappointment washed over him at this realisation and Shirou was more than happy to start to walk back home when he felt just few rapid footsteps approaching as he was yanked towards the bushes on the side, the culprit crouching near him.

He turned to stare at the responsible of this aggression and.. he was stumped by the figure he was looking at.

Black hair pulled in a twin-tailed style, blue eyes as if those were glowing gems and.. she was his age.

Who was she?

"W-Wha-" Her hand pressed on his white mask as she shushed him quietly. "_Be quiet_."

A frown later and Shirou nodded at her and, as her hand recoiled back, he tried to figure out who was she.

Clearly not someone he had met recently as he would have remembered meeting someone as short as him.

Someone from his past? Unlikely, her appearance didn't ring any bell to his mind about having encountered her before the fire.

And so the boy decided to patiently wait for the girl to explain herself and her actions but... few minutes passed and she kept silent about it all.

"_Who are you?_"

She gave a quick glance at him before returning to stare at the main path to the park's entrance.

"Tohsaka Rin."

The short presentation didn't give him anything to work with at first but then he remembered that someone that he had met quite recently shared her surname.

Was Rin a relative to Aoi? He narrowed his eyes as he tried to draw some comparison between the green-haired woman and the little girl that had pulled him in some bushes.

His staring didn't pass unnoticed to the child, which huffed in annoyance at the unwanted attention.

"C-Can you not stare this much?" She snorted again as she returned to her spying. "I should have picked a better thug for this little mission."

Thug? What was she talking about now? Was this because he was wearing an hat and a mask?

**That sounded rubbish to his ears!**

"_What are you talking about?!_"

She sighed tiredly. "_A minion, a grunt, someone that works under me for only this little task._"

...What?

Rin noticed his confusion and fully turned towards him. "_Listen. I don't care if you want to fawn over me but please keep the creepiness to a minimum. We need to capture him once he arrives._"

Fawning over? Creepiness?

He could still remember when he had met with Aoi and how confusing it had been for him at the time but Rin was beating that situation without even trying with her gibberish.

"Who is 'he'?" This time Shirou's voice was a bit louder, making the girl panic at the sudden question.

"_D-Don't be too loud!_" She scowled, crossing her arms close to her chest. "_I need your temporary help to subdue the boy I will indicate you_."

...She was crazy. There was no doubt about it as there was no way that someone her age could easily plot a kidnapping, even through her 'plan' sounded a lot like one of those created by villains from cartoons.

"_W-Why would you even want to kidnap someone-_"

Her eyes widened at the accusation. "_T-This is not a kidnapping!_" She seemed ready to protest further but paused for a moment. "_I mean, my plans is to put him unconscious and drag him to my mother and... I don't know._"

He blinked at the context given this calmly.

Rin was Aoi's daughter and wanted to... kidnap him? She was sounding the most confusing to him.

Why would she want to kidnap the Emiya? What had he done to warrant this?!

"_Why you want to kidnap me?_"

The girl was so much taken by the accusations that at first she didn't notice the wording of the question and was ready to deliver a lenghty motivation but-

Her mouth closed, her eyes narrowed at him and he felt like he was facing a blue tsunami as she growled.

"You are Emiya Shirou!"

Her yell made him flinch but he managed a nod as the girl approached him closely. "And you didn't tell me before- WHY?!"

Massaging his sore ears through the hat, the boy sighed. "Do you prefer the 'kidnap' excuse or the 'creepy' excuse?"

She snorted at the accusations. "Then you know that you have to follow me and-" "No."

..."What?"

"No. You just said you wanted to subdue me and take me where you live for your mother, but I don't know why I should do that?"

"B-because you have to! Yes, you have hurted my mom and-" "Aoi-san seemed fine the last time I saw her."

She pouted as her bluff was intercepted and dismantled so mercilessly. "Fine!"

Rin took a quick breath and turned serious in that moment. "My mother is... repeating your name."

"Really?" Sure, the woman had taken to repeat his name the last few moments she had seen here before she was taken back home but... she was still repeating it?

"Really. And that is... important." Her hands grasped at his shirt. "My m-mother couldn't even talk properly until now and she... she is speaking your name. What did you do to make her like this?"

He blinked at this as he hadn't realised until then that the damage Aoi had suffered was this extensive.

"I-I didn't do anything." Shirou replied at the senseless question. "I was just taking a nap and then I woke up with her sitting nearby."

... "Truly?" Her voice cracked a little and she sighed as he nodded. "T-Then there is no way that- that she will never return to normal." She sniffed as her tears started to buildup, a grimace appearing in the redhead's face at the idea of seeing another girl crying.

So he decided to speak up and try to avoid this situation to end with that.

"Wait! Why are you surrendering now?" He tried to appear encouraging, even through he didn't felt encouraged himself. "There are infinite choices that could be studied and-"

He paused as his eyes noticed her expression, one that Shirou knew more than he should at his age.

It was a sorrowful one, one that showed defeat at the oppressive odds that were constantly stacking and.. Rin felt so frail to look at. "And I will help you!"

.. "W-What?"

"I said that I will help you! It's unfair that you are doing all of this alone and... I want to help Aoi-san!"

She blinked in surprise at the declaration, tears starting to fall but she was staring at him wide-eyed.

A small smile appearing in her visage as she tried to brush her own tears away with her white sleeve.

"T-Thank you." Her smile widened even more, a genuine representation of gratitude from the young Tohsaka. "Emiya-kun."

* * *

Shirou was surprised at the house he was brought into by Rin.

It was a western style mansion, developed vertically and having been built with materials different from traditional houses.

A beautiful sight, that was for sure, and yet it seemed poorly-maintained as if someone had completely forgotten to clean the place.

The girl continued to walk over the gates and towards the entrance, never skipping a beat as she took a set of keys from her pouch and opened the the door quickly. "_Go!_" She whispered panicking but the Emiya entered quickly inside, awed by the gorgeous interior of the Tohsaka's home.

"_Be quiet and.. continue to follow me_." He nodded and the girl started to walk softly through the first hallway, looking at the second door on the left as she quickly walked towards it.

It was a living room, white being dominant in the furnitures and Shirou quickly spotted the familiar woman, Aoi, resting in one of the comfy chairs.

Green eyes blinked and soon she turned her attention away from the carpet and onto the two children.

"Shirou."

He cracked a small smile. "Aoi-san." He walked calmly towards her and went to greet her, leaving the young girl to stare at the exchange by the doorstep, trying to understand what the boy was going to do.

"Do you need something, Aoi-san?"

She continued to smile but she didn't speak further and Shirou frowned at the lack of reactions now.

Soon his attention turned to something trembling and he saw her left arm shivering, her hand turned to point at...

He turned to follow the direction and he saw only one thing she could be asking for. "The picture frame?"

Rin blinked as she had almost taken the shivering as something insignificant and yet-

Shirou returned back with the frame and turned for it to face the woman. "This?"

She didn't react at first to the picture but soon she spoke again.

"R-Rin."

The girl felt warm at her name being called out after so much time while the boy looked at the frame and pointed at her image.

"Yes. That is Rin-san."

It was subtle at first but the Gamer noticed that her green eyes were moving as she moved to the next individual.

"To-To-Tokiomi."

Rin gulped nervously, the name of his father still a sore point in her soul as she was still grieving it.

Shirou frowned at the man. He was sporting a goatee and was wearing elegant red clothes, a big smile on his face as his blue eyes- The boy paused at this details, connecting the dots quickly and dreadfully.

That was Rin's deceased father and the man... seemed to be happy with his family.

"That's... your husband?"

Finally Aoi paused, her smile freezing a little but soon that instance was replaced by her previous expression. Was she remembering something about her husband's death?

Her eyes moved once more and on the other corner of the picture... Shirou frowned in confusion.

The girl looked to be younger than Rin, dressed in a red shirt and white skirt. Actually those were the same clothes Rin was wearing, the colors being inverted in her case.

"S-Sa-Sakura."

Rin paled a little at the name and panicked even more the moment Shirou didn't answer her mother's word.

"Shirou?"

The redhead frowned at the photo as he felt like... he had seen this girl before.

_**Silent words were being exchanged in the memory, then she smiled widely and nodded at one of his proposal and he returned the sight with a grin of his own.**_

_**Soon a man approached and picked her slowly and softly, walking away from his as the girl waved at him with a happy smile.**_

_**A promise to meet again in the future.**_

It didn't happen. He **knew** that for some reason she didn't come back to the park, leaving him clueless as of why.

A soft hand set on his head, caressing it calmly and caringly.

Shirou blinked as he saw teardrops falling on the carpet below him, turning slowly to the woman as she smiled kindly.

"S-Sorry."

He blinked again and nodded at the comforting gesture. "T-Thank you, Aoi-san."

The woman didn't say anything else as she continued to pat his head.

Rin smiled a little at the sight, remembering when her mother would do the same thing when she was sad or tearful for a reason or another.

Yet her nostalgia was washed away the same moment a familiar hand grasped at her shoulder.

She looked up and saw the blank face of one Kotomine Kirei, her father's former apprentice.

"Rin." His voice sounded empty, monotone. "Did you invite someone for lunch?"

She blinked at the question and nodded slowly, cursing the bad timing of the man. "Yes."

The priest didn't spare further questions as he turned his attention on the redhead standing near the older Tohsaka.

Inside Kirei's mind, the words of the King of Heroes echoed the confusing warning about a new individual, someone that he will have to treat... rightfully.

"I suppose I will have to get the servants to know that they will have to prepare extra food for our young guest."

And as he said those words, the boy turned to stare at him. Yellow eyes, filled with emotions, met with ruthless brown ones, the very eyes that were hiding the evil nature of the soul of the priest.

For Kirei, it sounded like a delightful story to hear. One that would end with quite the harsh finale for the little 'Hero' of the tale.

* * *

**AN**

**Rin is adorably smart ****about using her 'looks' to get minions. She is growing to be a devious individual, isn't she?**

**Also I decided to add another reason for Shirou's fondness for Sakura****. I know that it is stated that Shirou's knows of his past but he is too pained to linger too much with it... but this is already an AU, so why shouldn't I play a little with the circumnstances?**

**Next chapter will see the lunch and boi, ****things get spicy! ****(Mapo Tofu is going to burn hellishly!)**

**Lastly! SEARCHING FOR BETA-READER!**  
**This is not a drill! The hunt for someone ready to waste some time to merely find and adjust the mistakes of the chapters is a daring one but... hopefully it will be successful!**  
**FANFIC VULT!**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**antenesis:**** Yes.**

**merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you and Buona Pasqua in ritardo!**

**PasiveNox****: Bah! I reply to everyone! :)**

**Cadelorbe12****: Thank you!**

**surya25addanki****: I have plans about Aoi and her recovery and thank you for your kind words!**

**JumpingToaster****: Life is filled with uncertainity and this story is somewhat starting from that. While this is the Nasuverse, one small change can change every story in it.**

**reader0007****: It is not anything Yandere-related... at least not yet as I haven't planned anything like that with her. The reason she chuckled while saying Shirou's name is mostly a personal victory. Since Aoi is brain-damaged, being able to.. say something smoothly is something to be prideful of, especially if you can say only one word at the time.**

**Marco Geddes****: Thank you!**

**demonic hellfire:**** I have lots of question about what I just read in your comment.**


	10. Bow (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Bow (4)**

* * *

Kirei Kotomine was dangerous.

Shirou's instict was screamed to his ears to run, to refuse the 'kind' offer from the priest as he knew he was going to be maimed one way or another.

He did a quick Observe over the man and... this was worrying him the worst possible.

**Name: Kirei Kotomine (?)**

**Title: Priest of Despair (?)**

**Age: 29 (?)**

**Level: (?)**

**HP : (?)**

**MP : (?)**

This only increased even more the dread within his chest as Kirei continued to grace him with a smile... or at least something that should be one. Gone was the joy or any positive emotion inside the representation of happiness as an uneasy feeling continued to send him shivers down his spine.

They were currently sitting in the long table of the dining room, the man taking the head chair and Shirou seated right by his left side. Aoi was placed on the seat that was on the opposite of the redhead while Rin had decided to pick the seat by his remaining side.

The Gamer didn't blame the youngest Tohsaka for that decision as the nightmareish stare was something that even Shirou found horrible to have on his frame. To think that Rin was subjected to **this** every single day she spent inside the manor...

"Your name is Emiya Shirou." Kirei mused outloud, taking a pause to take in his mouth a spoonful of Mapo Tofu, giving the Emiya the time to realise something curious about his words. The familiarity in his voice, the enunciation that seemed to assume a pleased tone and... the craving.

He was glad, that was something Shirou now knew, but the reason why he was like this eluded the child's ever-working mind. At first the man had appeared emotionless, akin to a stringless puppet. Now he smiled so maliciously.

But why? Why would someone turn to be like Kirei is now?

What could have made a man in something like thi-

"Do you have questions you wish to ask me, Emiya-kun?" The question brought the redhead out of his thoughts and back in that gloomy place. "Either that or I would be quite righteous to call you rude for your staring."

Eyes narrowing at the following statement, the Gamer decided to poke back at the priest's subtle attempt. "Why is your smile so strained?"

Shirou continued to stare at Kirei, his eyes gaining some droplets of surprise before returning to his previous blank expression. "Truly? Did it felt strained to you?"

The Emiya took a bite from the dish that he had in front of him, it was some flavoured meat that.. tasted awkward. It wasn't that bad but it was far from being something he would usually do with consideration. "It did."

The man relaxed his back and stared away for a brief moment. "What an interesting detail, I admit I have never expanded my... social knowledge."

What now? Social knowledge? Shirou was quite certain that smiling wasn't someone learned with books and the man hardly seemed to have tried to do something related to what he had just said.

"But I would understand if it was my hardwork starting to drain and... I just find it difficult to express joy when I am tired."

"You are happy." Shirou blurted without thinking, his eyes widening the moment he realised what he had just said.

"Really?" Kirei hummed quietly, his smile slowly creeping back. "And what tells you that I am 'happy?"

The redhead blinked at the question, a protective edge by the last word but also a lingering sense of curiousity over his entire query.

"Because you are... asking?" The boy stared once more onto the man's face. "You are direct when... you have nothing to hide."

And now the smile was fully back, a dreadful chill sparkling on the child's back. "What an interesting deduction. One that is... correct, I may say."

The man took one of the napkins left my the maids to clean his mouth, getting up from his seat as the plate that once contained his favourite food had been fully emptied.

"But I think you are also incorrect on several basis, like how this detail could hardly stand as a rightful proof of my... interest." He nodded first at the unresponding woman and then to the two children. "I am sure Rin will be more than eager to accompany you by the gates once you have finished."

And with that the priest left the dining room, Shirou finding his quick retreat quite suspicious.

"What was that?" He turned to look at two confused blue eyes and the Gamer felt a small headache how he should answer that question as not even he knew what had happened with the priest. It had all been so swift that his mind barely gave too much attention over the chat, distracted by the scaring appearance of the young man.

Indeed. What was that?

* * *

As the priest closed the door that led to his workshop behind his back, he took a large sigh out of his chest.

Kirei Kotomine was stunned by what he had found this normal day.

His expectations regarding Gilgamesh's cryptic words, mostly hovering about a possible reunion with the former Magus Killer, were initially ruined by the sight of the red-haired brat that Rin had decided to take back home. A simple, nameless orphan, he had thought detachedly, but then he felt something familiar within the boy the moment he grasped his shoulder.

The child had working circuits, something that was surprising to stare at, seeing how powerful they felt to the touch and the quality they looked to have. His corrupted heart almost quivered in joy when he learned his name as it explained much about him.

Emiya Shirou.

Kirei's smile twisted in a cracked form of malicious pleasure at the mere mentioning of the boy's name.

Emiya Kiritsugu had adopted one of the orphans he had made with his abruptly-stopped wish, something that turned his life in an hilarious tragedy for the priest to think about.

His wife, the homunculus, had been killed with the ritual and the priest knew that the man had lost any favour with the Einzberns with his little trickery by the end of the Grail War.

The Magus Killer, or what was left after the War, had tried to build something from the ashes of his failure, a feeble attempt of redemption even Kirei found pathetic to stare at. That is why his mind decided to adopt a better plan with this new target.

Kiritsugu had turned worthless the moment he didn't have any solution to the Kirei's plight and the priest had merely decided to play around him like a toy in his hands. Sadly said toy was consumed, decaying and there was nothing much that could be dealt with after the disastrous War the man had won.

This is why Shirou became the rightful replacement for the former assassin, a fresh puppet to use and pressure to play with his rules but Kirei didn't felt the need to kill him so soon.

There was a potential in him, horrible despair that would grow the more he let him become relaxed in his watch and, once Shirou had felt safe and happy, the priest would strike. Nothing would be left unturned in his delightful backstabbing, leading to joyous screams of pain and sorrow.

This beautiful gift, the priest mused amusedly, what a deligthful gift.

The king's words were true to the reality as someone that defied any of his expectations had indeed come to the Tohsaka manor and... he was giddy. Now he had something to nurture just for the sake of destroying once he reached his maturity.

His mind was already picking the bountiful fear and terror he was going to induce on the child's heart once he got him coaxed in his simple web of deception.

And now Kirei had found a reason to live _as merrily as he had wanted. __**Maybe even more.**_

* * *

Kiritsugu Emiya was incredibly concerned.

Having spend most of the day working on the costs of having two individuals to join him in his little oversea journey, his mind was incredibly tired and sore but he had managed to get everything correct.

The issue that worried him was the child eating in front of him.

Shirou should have returned back as quickly as he could when Taiga had contacted them to dismiss their usual hangout by the local park and yet the child had returned several hours later.

He was unharmed but the man could see that something was different about his son, his mood stuck in a general bitterness and confusion. It was when another hour passed and it was dinner time that the former mercenary asked about the boy's day.

"I... got a new friend."

The man nodded while sipping the coffe from his warm mug. "That is... nice." Memories of Shirley apart, Kiritsugu was glad that the child was not closing on himself or limiting his friendship to the young Fujimura. Still this didn't explain the peculiar mood Shirou had returned with.

"I... my friend, Rin, has a guardian as her father few days before the fire and.." The name sounded familiar, he could feel like he had heard this one before... during the War?

"And he is weird."

...Weird? A simplistic definition for someone as calculative as Shirou.

"How so?" The query got the child humming quietly, looking at his half-finished plate.

"Initially he looked emotionless, detached from reality and... then he had this... this smile."

Kiritsugu felt an unexplainable chill go down his spine at this simple depiction, reminding him of an individual that was already dead. He was sure he had killed that bastard.

But the following words alarmed him from his dying core. "Do you know a 'Kotomine Kirei'?"

The priest had... survived? That was absurd. The bullet that had finished the former Master of Assassin had reached the fake priest's heart and- No.

He felt the pain from the corrupted wound echoes in his body as he remembered that the corpse had been close to the mud when the Grail had been cracked open. Could it be that the 'thing' that had returned from the corrupted liquid was... Angra Mainyu itself?

The mere theory was weak with the lack of evidences and it was easily disproved by the following details Shirou offered of the man.

Every single adjective, behavior and words from the priest were the same as Kotomine Kirei. The man was still alive and... another realisation struck the Magus Killer. The girl, the one that Shirou had befriended was Tohsaka Rin, the heiress to Tohsaka Tokiomi, the Master of Archer.

That would explain why Kirei would be her guardian, having been the apprentice of the late head of the family, but... what had happened to the girl's mother. Having studied their dossiers prior to the War started, Kiritsugu was certain that the woman had survived the Fire and was still alive and well.

His son was the one that give him the final clue of this first puzzle around the ruined family. Strangled, brain damaged and no trustworthy people to help her around. Tohsaka Aoi was hardly going to live a long life under the care of the twisted bastard but... maybe he could do something about it.

Even through his voice fell deaf regarding the Grail, that didn't mean any suggestions about the Tohsakas' current situation would be ignored. Magi were politically inept about this, being too greedy to ignore even the most impossible of rumors about important families and the Toshaka's case had been one of the most confusing one after the death of Tokiomi.

And even if he couldn't get a proper investigation going with his little push, the spotlight the family would get from the predicament would be enough to delay whatever Kirei had planned to do with the riches of the old family.

Enough for Kiritsugu to pick someone that might 'convince' the priest to not do anything rash after the eyes had turned away from them. One of the multiple flights they had to take to reach London stopped right near where the girl was guarded.

He sighed as he considered how this would be... his last work that reminded him of his past occupation. Maybe some habits are hard to kill but... he was tired and Kiritsugu didn't wish to leave Shirou to deal with someone like Kirei.

He will die damned because of his foolish ideas but he was sure as hell going to leave a somewhat peaceful Fuyuki after his departure. Hopefully Shirou and Illya will live an happy life after that...

* * *

**AN**

**Kerry is a foolish boy that has seriously forgotten that there are other issues in Fuyuki that needs to be taken out the quickiest possible. One of the last sins that will make him even more damned will be the kidnapping of a little girl that isn't Illya (She will be saved after the Tutorial Arc) but will be quite important to the story.**

**What are the (?) in Kirei's stats? ****The mud gave Kirei much more than a simple heart. There is something hiding in the cracks of his empty soul...**

**It's been so long (AGAIN)! ****I tried to make some peace with the unfair schedule and I think I should be able to load the new chapter quite soon. Hopefully I will find no issue with this plan.**

**Also some big news: ****I might be forced to take a large Hiatus quite soon. After/During the exams this summer my family has planned to move out of the small house we currently have to return to the city I've been living in until two years ago. What will it mean? I will be able to take some simple jobs and finally get my income to improve from the current zero it is. Maybe I will also be able to buy some better equipment to write and draw and... maybe maybe maybe! :)**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you!**

**Ezeakel****: The Game knows that Kirei is... bad. Really bad.**

**reader0007****: oKaY.**

**PasiveNox****: Yep!**

**The Last Kenpachi****: The Tofu will be killed but... wait, why there is written that it will not be 'killed by Shirou'? WHO DID THIS!? *Looks at the silent backstage***

**Zer000****: I will answer some of the questions as I think it would take far too much space to answer everything: **  
**1) Shirou's Game is not from Alaya/Gaia but it can be influenced by them;**  
**2) The Gamer Element seems to be.. 'weirdly' exposed by it will make sense by the end of the Arc;**  
**3) This Shirou could theoretically speaking be turned in a Heroic Spirit but I suspect the logic behind his existence would bug up the FGO system;**  
**4) In FGO Solomon, Grand Caster, was summoned during the First Holy Grail War by the first Animusphere, the founder of Chaldea. The rules of the Grail are incredibly weird as you can summon anything that has: A) A following; B) A legend to base it upon; C) The proper cathalyst. Example: Merlin can be summoned in FGO because the copy that is summoneable is a depowered version, a copy that arrives before the end of his legend and before he got his clairovoyance. Same for Scathach as the one summoneable (two-three actually) are those who had yet to be sealed away in the Shadow Lands. Still massive thank you for this detailed review and I hope to hear more from you!**


	11. Lance (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Lance (1)**

* * *

Shirou's first time in Tokyo was quite brief.

Kiritsugu had decided against letting them wander around, reminding both Taiga and his son that the trip was a business one and that there would be enough time to explore after he had finished his affairs in Tokyo.

Of course the girl deflated instantly as she had planned to make several photos of the capital, just for the sake of having something to prove this new experience away from Fuyuki. Maybe even get the chance to wander and find Akihabara for... reasons.

Not even Shirou was sure what kind of reasons would urge the social butterfly to genuinely seek the district famous for the large concentration of Game Shops and anything related to the still growing Anime industry.

The flight was uneventful, nothing much worth of consideration and afterthoughts... if it wasn't that Kiritsugu had been quite antsy for the rest of the time flying.

Eyes a little open wide open, his movements forceful sometimes and he seemed to be on alert for the rest of the flight.

It was something Shirou couldn't genuinely pinpoint what had caused this on the first place and so he merely thought it was the plane itself.

Flying, from what Taiga had been ranting and re-ranting, was something that could get people quite unnerved. Something about hating being stuck in a relatively small place that could easily have you crash and die for a reason or another.

Of course the redhead knew that the chances for this situation to happen were incredibly unlikely to happen and so he spent the reminder of the experience either reading or napping.

The flight was a long one and it made a quick pause in the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Italy, to refuel before finally reaching for the capital of the United Kingdom.

It was there, once the plane had fully landed on the runaway, that Shirou noticed a major change in the environment from the one he had grown accustomed to in Fuyuki.

London was impressive. One of the oldest and most developed cities in Europe, its layout looked incredibly different from Fuyuki's own and he was awed by its grand display of skyscrapers and parks.

Truly a magnificient city, Shirou thought absently as he give it a first look. He had read so much about the city, an important cultural piece of European history with its Victorian style buildings and parks larger than the one back in Fuyuki.

Taiga had also looked awed too but the redhead noticed quite early that she looked less intrigued by the city and more interested in... something else. Asking her about that proved to be a fruitless effort, the girl merely stating that a 'friend of hers' she had met a month ago was supposed to live there.

Kiritsugu decided against giving too much of a sight over the place, citing that he had already been there and that he was less than inclined to waste time in 'being a tourist'. Few hours later and the trio had finally reached the hotel their caretaker booked for the oversea trip.

The Nadler Kensington Hotel surprised Shirou's imagination regarding the place, the hotel owned a beautiful XIX century outward style, while keeping a more modern disposition within its premises.

The rooms that the older Emiya had picked were connected by a common living room, had separate showers and... the hotel's chefs knew Japanese cuisine. The last bit was a treat he had not truly expected, having prepared his mind to face western cooking.

It wasn't like he disliked the style but... it was different. Wandering in unknown territory was quite nerve-breaking for someone of his composure... when he wished to have one.

After a quick lunch, Shirou was ready to finally enjoy a walk around the city- "No."

But there was a major issue the boy had not truly planned to face. Kiritsugu posed an immediate halt to his wandering, citing how they all had just arrived from a long flight and the difference between timezones was noticeable.

The first day was supposed to be wasted resting and recovering from the flight.

With a final tired sigh, Shirou let his body fall on his bed, mind darkening as his consciousness slipped and...

* * *

Amber eyes opened up as he felt a small critter nuzzle in his face and he turned to look at a familiar being causing the interaction. "Hello there, Fou."

His hand slowly went over its small head and started to pet the adorable squirrel-like creature. Its eyes closed blissfully as he continued with his ministrations, enjoying the calming effect he felt over the calm action.

Maybe he should get a cat once he get back home, Shirou contemplated silently.

He was back in the beautiful grasslands created out by the crystallised dream. _**The prison of a foolish man.**_

His attention moved away from Fou and, turning towards the opposite direction, he saw Merlin, the magician perching on a low branch of a tree, his violet eyes directed at the cloudy sky.

"M-Merlin-san?"

The man glanced his direction, his smile widening just a little as he nodded at the redhead.

"Hello Shirou and... this time we have more time to speak about your current mission."

The boy blinked surprised at the words of the white-haired magical being.

He hadn't planned to do much here in the European city, feeling far too much unknowing of his surroundings to genuinely try to find anything Game-related. He was excited at the opportunity to be in the capital but.. he knew that trying anything like that would be stupidly selfish and dangerous.

"W-Wait, what do you mean with 'more time'? I thought that-"

"While my prison is not set within the World's premise, the same couldn't be said of its entrance."

His stare was sternly redirected to an arcway of stones, some words written above it.

"**Only the innocent may pass.**" The magician mused darkly as he shook his head. "To think I would be screwed by something so simple but so _beautifully _effective."

"W-who did this?" Shirou blurted without thinking, then he said more. "Who was the one responsible for-"

"Someone incredibly loving but infuriating at the same time. Her name, Vivian, would be meaningless to your mind if I didn't tell you her first grand duty, aiding King Arthur by providing Excalibur to her."

Now that was something strange. "W-Wasn't Excalibur the sword in the stone?"

At first Merlin chuckled at the answer, bringing more confusion within Shirou, then he sighed tiredly. "Caliburn was the first sword of the King, the blade destroyed for the sake of Good as it caused most of the ruler's initial strife."

He jumped off and softly landed on the grass near Shirou.

"She couldn't age. Humanity no longer an aspect within her body as... she took the harshest duty and ended up dying in a grave of swords."

Shirou **felt** like he could visualize the place, a hill with so many weapons laid wasted in there, only a single individual there.

But it was no King, nor woman there. It was- _**I'm the bone of my-**_

An headache blocked the interesting sensation and the magician crouched above him, his staff glowing a blue light as is encompassed his full body.

The pain slowly subsided and his mind felt clearer than before.

"Now that was something I had not seen within you the first time... but let us not digress further. You have an important job in the close future, boy." Merlin sat down, eyes closed as he took a brief pause to think, to pray and grieve.

"I admit I know when I am at fault and... while I don't regret pushing Artoria into the ruining path she had to walk through, I think she at least deserves to have her memory preserved rightfully."

**-A Rose of Different Name and Scent-**

**Time Limit: Undefined**

**The legacy of King Arthur exists within this world but... her existance is miserable. Reach the Magus Community in Cadbury Castle, Somerset, and take Gray Pendragon with you.**

**Hints**

**A diplomatic approach is highly unlikely to work with the locals because of your low standing within the Moonlit World, caution and preparation is adviced.**

**Reward**

**-New Companion: Gray Pendragon-**

**-Unlock Gray's Route-**

**-REDACTED is added to your inventory-**

**-Improve Merlin's closeness-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Decrease Merlin's closeness-**

**-Gray's Route is closed-**

**\- Decrease Gray's closeness-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

"W-Who is Gray?"

Merlin sighed tiredly, his eyes once more to the sky. "Do you remember the fire, kid?"

The Gamer's body tensed, the memories still fresh even after so long had passed.

"Imagine that this young girl is replacing you in that horrible predicament, constantly suffering because of actions and inactions of others while she is innocent and unworthy of said treatment. Now I wish to know, Shirou Emiya, if you were placed in front of her, to stare at her pained existance and her sorrow, would you seriously not consider saving her?"

It wasn't even a choice by this point as he knew that there was someone that he know he could save and he was being given the opportunity to do so. But was it truly the need of being a hero? Maybe he was merely greedy because he wanted to get stronger and...

"You know, your face is quite expressive when you think deeply about an argument." His attention was brought back to the magician. "But I will tell you something very important, boy, something that I have seen unfold because I was prime cause of."

Violet eyes looked hesitant and tired. "You are a mortal, child, something limited by your own nature to truly strive to become someone capable of saving everyone in the world. Trying will give you some initial relief, some positive interest to add to your dream but... you will despise yourself if you throw your life like this."

Merlin paused and closed his eyes. "Saving people when you can is something rightful, noble even but trying to push over your natural limits will only bring pain and apathy to yourself. Even with the Game to your side, you are still not a true deity and you hopefully will never become one. Too much of a painful existance to endure without going mad."

* * *

Shirou found himself brought back to the world abruptly, the unfamiliar ceiling of his hotel room making him panic at first but... he sighed as he got up from the bed. He gave a quick look at the old clock by his bedside and groaned the moment he caught the time.

It was half an hour before midnight and... he was still tired.

Yet he couldnt't find relief knowing that he will have to plan out how to save someone with his current predicament. He might have some capacity in using meele weapons and he had trained a little with the bow but... he was far from ready for this situation.

The redhead sighed tiredly as he rolled by the short furniture by his bedside to pick the folded map of the entire United Kingdom. He got a name to work with, a place where to find her but no clear indication where this place was or how he was supposed to reach it.

Small steps, he repeated within his head like a mantra, small steps.

Luckily enough and starting from the regions on the bottom of the map, Shirou found the small settlement of Cadbury Castle right by the Somerset, Cornwall. It wasn't that far from London, considering that the trains here were relatively cheap and quicker than in Japan but he still will have to plan who could help him in this predicament.

Feeling the last bits of his energy finally drained away in that quick search, the redhead returned to bed as his mind slowly drifted away from the real world and into a lucid dream.

_He dreamed of swords but only one shone the brightest in that place he found himself at home._

* * *

**AN**

**Explanations over Explanations: The reason why the update took so long is actually pretty similar to other stories. I was highly distracted by Uni exams, had to write several drafts as I felt rushing too much and I had to properly connect some dots that I had still to connect to the main plot. **

**Gray, the official first girl Shirou saves: There isn't much known about her birthplace, only that it is a unimportant village of Magus that Waver would reach three-four years after the Fourth Holy Grail War. I picked Cadbury Castle as it was one of the possible sites where Camelot once existed and could connect with Gray's family being a branch of Artoria's main one. Since she is in her 20s during the Adra Castle Detachment (2004), I decided to set her current age at 10-11 Years old (it is still 1994 right now in the story).**

**Something new:**** I decided to set an account Pat(CoughingMyKidneys)reon, but it is only about donations now. I am not doing commissions as I have long promised to keep my fan-writing free and legit! I just accept donations and I might set good goals if we reach an acceptable following. Currently the first goal is... setting up a permanent Google Doc where I will mostly write my drafts before uploading them online.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**surya25addanki:** **Hiatus almost over. After Uni Summer Session (June-July), my regular schedule will be fully back up.**

**merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**HarmonyDST05:**** *Looks above the chapter* Yep.**

**Mirvein:**** Scáthach is not capable of becoming an Heroic Spirit because she is immortal and stuck within the Land of Shadows. At least this version of her. Pretty much like Merlin, the one ****Scáthach being summoned in Chaldea is a version of her that is not forced by the local universal rule within the Land of Shadows. I checked if Goetia had truly destroyed the Land of Shadows and there was nothing about it online. The Independent Manifestation of Merlin is only temporary for the Babylonia Singularity as this form is destroyed by Tiamat's awakening, in fact he is given the temporary chance by Gaia to leave his prison and intervene in person. The version that is summoned post-Babylonia is a version of the Caster that is not imprisoned within the Garden of Avalon.  
**

**MystiYew:** **Grammar will be reworked in the future.**


	12. Lance (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Lance (2)**

* * *

The following morning saw Shirou sipping from a warm mug of chocolate milk, his eyes fixed on the map he had found the night before to retrace his destination once more. A scowl ruled his face, the time required to reach Cadbury Castle by car far exceeding any window of opportunity Kiritsugu's wandering would give him.

Same for Taiga, the girl spending just few hours outside to explore the premises of the quarter where the hotel they were living in was, either sightseeing or merely enjoying a refreshing walk outside in the western city.

It was the unique experience for someone from Japan, the Gamer was certain of that as part of him genuinely craved to explore the city himself… but he had a mission to solve in a short time limit.

Kiritsugu had already mentioned that the trip was meant to last just three to four days and the possibilities to try and reach the destination where the girl, Gray, was were far too restrictive for him to act.

And that is why, for the first time in a long time, Shirou felt like he was dealing with the unlikely task, an objective that was obtusely difficult to reach because of obstacles nigh-impossible for him to currently overcome.

So that is why, after finishing breakfast and having gone through his morning ritual in the bathroom, the young Emiya decided to join Taiga for a walk around the city as to think calmly about the whole predicament he was facing.

The girl was quick to accept the request, hopefully mistaking it for the need of a cooped up child yearning for some different sights (which was partly true, but not the whole reason behind his query) from the usual indoor ones, and so the boy found himself following the happy Fujimura around the European capital.

There were several people waiting around the corners of the streets, calmly waiting for the green light to turn in and allow them to continue for their destinations, sometimes glancing their way because of their Asian characteristics.

It was something Taiga had been quick to explain during the first few moments outside, stating how westerners were curious of 'exotic' appearances, finding them oddly fascinating just like some Japanese usually found foreigners a curious sight.

The glances they received were from a neutral to a positive shade, mostly because the two of them were young and harmless, thus not worthy of any hateful emotion.

They finally reached a zone of the city with several restaurants and bars, with some closed pubs here and there. Shirou's amber eyes absently looked around, not having a particular focus as he was being led by the girl and… and he felt something was wrong.

A wave of cold, restraining his body still and fixed on the spot and he wasn't the only one suffering this circumstance. Everyone around them was stuck in a single position, no reaction whatsoever to the situation.

Everyone except the lone man standing up from his seat in one of the small open bars, walking towards him.

**[Warning! Time has been frozen!]**

He was tall, just a little more than Kiritsugu and that wasn't what unnerved the Gamer the most. Old and weary, his face looked hardly fazed by age… but he seemed to be strained for some reason.

"To think that **she **would get interested so much in a single lifeform… I am curious." He paused right in front of the boy, bending a little as his hand cupped Shirou's face and raised it up. Amber meet red and… he could feel a chant within him.

A lullaby, a reminder, something forgotten but also not. The words a confused repetition, his attention horribly taken by the scariest sight ever.

The boy could see something approaching from the red orbs, a grand sphere of white slowly descending upon him. The more the circular object reached for him, the more he could feel the pressure buildup, as if he should be running, dodging whatever was coming towards him.

Then he realized and… _how he had realized._ The pale moon continued its fall and Shirou couldn't but continue to watch as death continued his path to reach him-

"And that is enough." The redhead felt a bubble burst within him, his perception of the world fully restored and removed from the horrifying scene he had just witnessed.

Tears were falling off and his breathing was labored. The elder stopped just a moment, a curious glint in his inhuman eyes as he noticed that… Shirou was reacting.

"You can see me, can you?" The stranger muttered intrigued, walking around the child and studying his fixed body. "But you can't move. Truly a bundle of mysteries that… I doubt I will be able to study on a single session."

New weight formed in the Gamer's right pocket, two tickets being left there as the man patted his head twice. "I suppose I will have to wait for our next encounter and… I wonder how far you will go, Emiya Shirou."

After that, the elder started to pace quietly on the opposite direction where the redhead was, the boy's eyes unable to see him for few moments and then-

**[Warning! Time has been restored!]**

**[New item obtained! Kaleido Teleportation Tickets, x2]**

W-What?

The child turned around, trying to get another glance at the mysterious old man that he had just seen… disappearing.

Indeed the figure wasn't anywhere near for him to notice, either managing to somehow mix with the crowd of people behind them even with his unnatural height or maybe he had indeed disappeared away with… magic?

He took a moment to stop, trying to make sense of the encounter and- "Something's wrong, Shirou-kun?"

The boy blinked, turning to look at the worried expression plastered on Taiga's face, deducing that his face was still stained by tears.

"I-I am fine." His voice croaked traitorously, messing his simple attempt to lie out the predicament. The girl's eyes narrowed as she did something unexpected.

Feeling frail after what had just happened, Shirou didn't make any resistance as Taiga took him in her arms and started to walk back towards the hotel. "You might be feeling ill, I read that it is possible to get some form of cold when you are not used to this climate. Hopefully you didn't catch a fever."

Her assumptions weren't truly wrong, after all the redhead was lightly shivering and his skin had gone a shade paler than previously.

And while he was bought back to the warmth and safety of their temporary living arrangements, the Gamer couldn't help but think about the strange man that had left him in such a state.

That power, that unknown sensation and… that sadness.

* * *

**[Object: Kaleido Teleportation Ticket]**

**Small piece of special paper imbued with seals attached to the Second Magic, the Kaleidoscope. Crafted by the one and only Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, those rare cards are reserved to apprentices to the Second Magic Holder or for those special enough to receive them as a gift. The current setting of the Card is Teleportation: Maximum individuals transportable is 2 per card, no limit distance-wise and it is all in a single usage.**

Shirou couldn't believe at what he was looking at and yet he felt far from happy from this development. While the cards were a blessing in the form of magical paper, the circumstances behind the acquirement were not something worth of forgetting.

The words of the old man had resounded incessantly for almost two hours and the boy was sure of few things now that the description gave him some clues:

1) The elder was this Schweinorg individual, capable of… using real magic?  
2) The man knew about Shirou and was helping him, willingly or not;  
3) The man spoke of a 'woman', someone that wanted him to accomplish the mission for some reason.

Whoever this man and the woman he spoke about truly are, the fact that someone was actively checking on him, even through to help him around, was concerning and somewhat creepy.

He shivered briefly under the covers of the bed, the day being spent mostly acting sickly to avoid further suspicions from the worried Fujimura as she decided to 'nurse him back to help', trying and failing to prepare some warm broth.

Night came and he was stuck in his bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling of his room. In his hands the two tickets as he felt a warmth sensation spread through his body as a golden light put him in a golden cocoon.

Shirou had long thought about the proper time to use the tickets and get to Cadbury Castle, ending up to begrudgingly accept that night-time was the only opportunity to do things without getting hurt in any way, shape or form.

Plus he would avoid getting caught away by Kiritsugu and Taiga, giving him another thing to not worry about.

He closed his eyes, the light growing far too brighter for him to look at and soon he was shifted away from his bedroom and taken away from London in a single moment.

The smooth texture of the mattress was soon replaced by wet grass and, as soon as he could open his eyes, Shirou stared up at the starry sky of the night. Did it work?

He slowly lowered his gaze around his proximity and spotted a small village right down a small mud path. There was no other hints nor clue that could further confirm that he had reached the Magical Community that he was supposed to find… and yet he felt that this was the right place.

His hand moved to his chest and he felt a sensation, something within him resonating and calling out for him. _**It demanded him to move quickly inside the village, to find and help-**_

Gray?

The redhead stood up from the grass, ignoring the cold sensation of the night wind and rushed quietly towards the small houses that were few meters from him.

_**I'm bone of my sword.**_

The cool breeze was now easy to ignore, his body warming up suddenly the more he walked, aimlessly but also directed by something within him.

The Gamer's eyes ignored the normal houses, his attention brought by the muffled feminine yells coming from a small building that looked similar to a tiny church.

_**My body is of Fire and Steel**_

He slowly pushed the doors open, his amber eyes quickly focusing on the two figures occupying the place.

A man snarled as he held tightly a small branch of wood, red blood slowly dripping off of it.

On the ground, shivering and suffering, was a young girl. Her gray hair were short, few bangs trying to cover the oddly familiar visage, the green eyes she had pleading for relief from the painful torture.

Shirou used **Observe** and…

**HP: 28/250**

Anger surged within his core and, noticing another wooden branch by his feet, he took it within his hands as his eyes focused on the crazy-looking man.

Shirou used **Observe **again, this time on the unknown man.

**Name: Unknown**  
**Title: Shaman of the Cadbury Castle Community**  
**Age: ?**  
**Level: ?**  
**Health Points (HP) : 300**  
**Mana Points (MP) : ?**

**He was stronger than Shirou… but his health was something the boy could work with. Losing no more time, the Gamer swiftly rushed at the unaware man and… the managed to land the first hit.**

**-57HP!**

**HP: 243/300**

**A loud crack echoed in the building as the branch slammed on the elder's exposed chest, his old ribs failing to hold against the sneak attack. The man turned around, his eyes wide open in surprise, but he was too slow to react as the branch reached his face, pushing him away.**

**-78HP!**

**HP: 165/350**

"W-What- Who are you-!" As he retreated back because of the fierce attack, the man tried to make sense of the child in front of him, completely forgetting of the small chair behind him. Soon he stumbled over it, his head slamming on the ground with a sound 'thud', making him unconscious on the spot.

**-138HP! Crit!**

**HP: 27/300 (Status: Unconscious)**

Shirou let the branch fall off his hands, blinking at the scene as he hyperventilated at what he had caused. Sure, he had been able to push the old man to black out but he had come so close to kill him in the skirmish.

He was trembling, the reality of the situation finally sinking in his brain. He had been so close to become a murderer, to take a life, to- "W-Who- W-who are y-you?"

His mind stopped with the guilt trip and the redhead turned his attention to the girl, Gray looked surprised but her eyes were strained by the pain and she looked incredibly weak to him.

Without missing a beat, Shirou crouched over her and took hold of her hand. "Shirou Emiya."

English wasn't something he knew much about, just few words and question that Taiga had told him about during the flight and… he decided to not test his current capacity to properly answer, giving a curt reply.

The girl blinked, surprise painted in her face as something unexpected happened the moment they touched.

A blinding light erupted from Shirou's chest and he felt his body going numb as he felt drained.

**[Requirements have been met, activation of Noble Phantasm: Avalon – The Everdistant Utopia]**

Right in that moment, the boy felt his body burning as light started to pour over Gray, the girl's shock slowly replaced by relief as the several wounds present in her body started to be healed, her pain soothed and her energy partly restored.

The golden spectacle ended few moments later, Shirou's mind focused to just one last objective. Taking out the second ticket and ignoring the girl's wide eyes, he took once more hold of her hand and thought of the hotel, of the bedroom where he had been prior to the first teleportation.

The effect was almost instantaneous, the cocoon of white covering both of them and soon they were whisked away from the building, several footsteps approaching it to see what had happened.

Gray yelped in surprise, trying to make sense of the quick action happening before her the moment she found herself in another room. She turned to the young boy that had saved her, hoping to find some answers from him but-

Green eyes blinked quietly as she found the red-haired youth fast asleep on the bed they were now lying onto. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time she had been in a room this… nice.

The bed was soft, it felt interesting to the touch and, feeling a little drained by the recent situations, she closed her eyes and surprisingly fell on the unused pillow without much resistance.

For some reason, something that her mind couldn't make sense of, she felt like… she was safe. It wasn't the room, it wasn't the fact she wasn't anywhere near her village-

**_It was the boy, this 'Shirou Emiya', and his surprisingly calming presence._**

* * *

_**AN**_

**Due Explanations regarding the way Shirou reached Gray: I had three possible ways Shirou could have used to reach her and… the other two sounded more Plot-Armor than this one. Let me just say that the reason why I hardly consider this choice 'Plot-Armorish' is because I decided to make a major rule in Anime finally in action: Rarity attract Rarity, Power attract Power, Odd attract Odd. **

**Zelretch wasn't there on his own initiative: No, this Wizard Marshal shall not be the same Troll guy from other fanfics. Just like in 'Crawl Like a Worm', this man is capable of doing stuff with the Second Magic, but he can hardly travel through Worlds. That is why stopping time, with 'permission', still took a drain on him.**

**The Aftermath: While Gray is not Artoria, her blood is from the King of Knights and that is good enough to unseal for a moment Avalon. Does this mean that Shirou got Avalon fully active now? No. Does that mean that he can use Rhongomyniad? Nope, not now at least.**

**Did beating the old man give any EXP? No, I decided to set a rule that EXP are gained in a fight only by killing your opponent. Only in case of 'Training' or 'Mission-specific' conditions you may receive EXP from not killing your opponent.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Lord Vortrex:**** It will continue. Still, just like I had announced early on, my updating pace is sluggish for this story.**

**Merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**ServantDreamer:**** Si e no. Dopo aver ricevuto alcuni suggerimenti a riguardo il fatto che il Fateverse e il Tsukihimeverse sono differenti, ho deciso di applicare una versione ibrida dove I Dead Apostle sono una denominazione creata dalla Chiesa e da Clocktower per identificare I Vampiri con un alto potenziale. Comunque si, Primate Murder è con Merlino e non sotto il controllo di Altrouge.**

**Surya25addanki:**** Will think about it.**

**DarkElucidator:**** Yay!**

**NeroAlmia****: Some questions are answered by this chapter while the rest of the answers will be given next chapter.**

**Daggerxxx****: Thank you!**

**PasiveNox:**** Thank you!**

**Kronos797:**** Because I feel comfy with writing those stats.**

**Ill:**** Thank you!**


	13. Interlude - Kiritsugu

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Interlude 1 – Kiritsugu**

* * *

The pain never ceased.

The wound never closed.

The inner scar never grow silent.

Kiritsugu Emiya had always thought that the greatest sorrow in his life was losing his childhood because of his father's ambitions to reach the Root.

He killed him for the Greater Good.

When he had lost Natalia, when he had pressed that trigger, he had felt the cold hand of guilt take his whole heart as he trashed the only chance to his family.

He killed her for the Greater Good.

When he found himself facing the Grail's challenge, the deterrent for those unworthy of the Wish- He could still remember the void taking his sanity as he pulled the trigger of the Contender, the bullet instantly killing the illusion of his sweet daughter.

The blood felt real, too real and when the fake Iri tried to attack him, the same look her real wife would have at seeing such treacherous and heinous act of violence, and his hands around her neck as her life slowly left the fake's corpse.

They died for the Greater Good.

The wheel of the World moved with blood, it would always the innocent that pays one way or another and Kiritsugu had to admit.

The circle that he had so long tried to break by becoming one with death turned out to be far worse than he had expected.

The weight of his sins were far bigger than he had hoped, the guilt nearly drowning him the moment he tasted the Original Evil.

Angra Mainyu still lingered, undisturbed, inside the Greater Grail. A bug in the system that stubbornly grasped the edge of the magical construct, altering it in the process because of his sheer hatred and determination.

A nasty, vengeful bastard that couldn't just accept he wasn't supposed to exist within this world. Avenger was the result of a foolish plan from Acht, the old man failing to see the grand issue behind his choice of breaking the rule.

Everything had a weight in this world and cheating wasn't frowned upon just for moral reasons.

A child cheating in a simple school test? If they are caught by the teacher their entire test is nullified.

A man trying to cheat his way out of a contract? Either jailed or killed.

A Magus trying to cheat something as complex as the Holy Grail? The End of the World had loomed so close and even Kiritsugu knew that his quick solution was a temporary one at best.

To think that Saber's Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, had not worked to the fullest. Sealed by Faes for the sake of… moderation.

The world almost died but the bright light of the Holy Blade saved everyone.

The corrupted mud had been a terrible experience, the wounds of his fight against the demented priest that was Kotomine Kirei ending up giving a direct connection to the darkness within it.

The nature of the wounds changed, twisted, no more just a physical damage upon his body but a dangerous cancer to his Circuits.

He had long ditched the idea of passing the piece of the Emiya Crest under his possession to Shirou, the possibility of carrying the illness to the child being a good reason to completely forget about doing the surgery.

Speaking of the boy, it was painfully annoying to know how analytical and developed his mind was at that age. Something Kiritsugu never had as a child, but while he considered it a good thing to have in normal circumstances, he found incredibly annoying to deal for many reasons.

The first of those being the fact the boy wasn't as trustworthy of him, maybe just enough to consider him some kind of family but…

But he was genuinely distrustful and the old Emiya could fault him for that. Years of being so restricted to chat with people, years of mistrust, had led the former Magus Killer to adopt something so different from the usual parenting skill he had with Illya.

Maybe it was because Shirou wasn't his son by blood- No. That excuse felt so foolish to even consider, having been an adopted child himself under Natalia.

Maybe it was that Shirou was not Illya.

His daughter was naive, innocent to the dreadful world that existed out of the Castle in Germany.

Shirou has seen the worst pain possible, he had been 'bathed' by the great fire and he had come out with an emotional scar. His amnesia might have prevented him from feeling the true weight of the traumatic experience, but he could still remember pictures in his head. Images of burning, sounds of shouts and yells.

There were the basis for PTSD and Survivor's Guilt, but Shirou had been spared by his amnesia. Still far from behaving like a child his age, Kiritsugu was sure that the boy would surely be able to fit back in the normal way of things once he got accustomed to the world once more.

That had been the main reason why Kiritsugu had 'forgiven' Taiga, because he knew that the girl was a very normal teenager. Not much close to Shirou's age, but still good enough to help him in taking steps toward happiness.

The musings ceased the moment another wave of pain surged from the corrupted wounds, his mouth snapping close as the ghost of a shriek of hurt was contained by his experienced mind.

Sweat drops rolled off his forehead as he slowly got up from the bed, the chilly temperature of the room doing nothing to soothe the searing pain.

Back home the walls of his room had been turned soundproof, a precaution to limit any possible curiosity in Shirou to further investigate his wounds.

He had seen the dark cuts, but the child had not questioned further than just a confused glance.

Few moments passed before the dulling sensation of his Circuits restored some stability in his body, the trembling lasting a little longer as he tried to further push back the pain deep to its original spots.

As soon as his mind was freed of the straining task, his eyes widened at the familiar sensation that he had ignored until now.

While he had been careful to not be followed back by the hotels by possible assassins after his head, Kiritsugu had been quick to set up a boundary field around the suites they were occupying.

The pulling sensation, as if a rope connected to his chest had been crossed and cut down, bouncing back to him and giving him a dreadful sign.

Someone had intruded Shirou's room. Putting on his jacket and pants, the former mercenary picked his Calico, ready to make quick work of whoever had intruded the place.

He moved through the shadows, eyes glancing everywhere for possible minor traps along the way between his room and the redhead.

Finally he reached the boy's room, readying himself for some ambush and… he rushed inside once the door gave way for him to enter.

Sub-machine gun cocked on the bed, Kiritsugu's eyes widened the more he stared at the scene.

Shirou was snoring softly his bed sheets trashed out by his own arm as two unfamiliar limbs hugged him chest close to a dark silver-haired head.

Black eyes blinked again, this time the Magus Killer studying the intruder with a critical eye. 'Her' frame was feminine and the lack of much clothing showed just some small curves only a girl would have. She was petite, for some reason so familiar to him and finally he glanced at the strange object hanging from her hands.

It looked like a bird's cage made of bronze, a strange box kept inside of it.

He made a step closer, to glance better this object and… he found himself staring at a pair of… eyes?

The box twitched, its lower line reminding a smirking mouth as it opened and- "**WAKE UP!**"

The shrilly metallic voice was already irritating and the outburst just busted his chance to take out the intruder without Shirou's knowing.

Amber eyes snapped open in panic and the girl almost jumped off the bed as she started to scan the room and… found him.

Black eyes widened, his heart almost stopping to beat as he got a clear sight over the girl's face.

Her hair was combed in a different way, but her soft features and bright green eyes were what truly made him remember.

"_Are you my master?_"

"S-Saber!?"

* * *

**AN**

**It's been a long time and… I think this AN will be a long one for good reasons. **

**I want to remind you all that I would be more than happy to accept people making Omakes or Fanart, all within the simple rule of asking for permission. It might sound a dumb request and it might sound out of nowhere but…**

**I just discovered that a reader translated the FPO (the first version) in Spanish and posted it on Wattpad. While he had the decency to write on the Summary that I was the writer and not him, I would have been happy to learn about this by him/her asking for permission to do this act. I learned about this while browsing randomly my name and this result jumped as one of the first ones and-**

**I am not angry. But I am very, VERY IRRITATED! While I don't own Fate Stay Night (that is Nasu-Sensei and TM's property), I would like to consider what I write as something that comes partly from me. I write the story, I lose brain cells while trying to balance Exams and chapters and I would like, at least, some decency in this kind of situations. I will send a strongly-worded message to the individual, asking him to at least apologize for this situation, or I will be eager to put down the work off from Wattpad in case of refusal or silence.**

**I am a very kind man, I can be reasoned with, but I will never accept to be tricked in any way, shape or form.**

**Quick Announcement: Released two new stories (The Human King is now rebooted with its Prepare to Die Edition! and I have started a political Re:Zero SI Story in SV forum for those glutton for some Made-By-Bukharin Lore!)**

**Lastly, full chapter is scheduled for… TOMORROW (June 26th)!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**And now let's go to the REVIEW Q&A!**

**PasiveNox****: I rate it a 4/10. Needed more Ninjas and less crude attacking.**

**Merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**Lord Vortrex****: I have rushed it a little. Yep.**

**HarmonyDST05****: I will try to keep things stuck with Shirou's perspective from now on. Well, ignoring the Interludes and… something secret.**

**Guest (Chapter 12)****: Taiga will flip next chapter. Also I remind that this is 1994 London, not the 2010s, as the city was not as multi-cultural at that point. It was before the large migration fluxes and… yeah.**

**NeroAlmia****: Thank you for the review and I hope you recover from the Gacha-induced depression (I am suffering because I didn't get neither Caster and Assassin from Agartha Campaign with the Anniversary 30 Quartz.).**

**Daggerxxx****: I admit I had to fall into that but… I tried to heavily nerf the Wizard Marshal. And yes, he ain't going to be as trolly as he is potrayed in his usual FF's MO.**

**Guest (Chapter 6)****: Maybe.**


	14. Lance (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Lance (3)**

* * *

What an awkward morning.

Shirou had not been quite naive to ignore the reactions from Kiritsugu and Taiga at seeing this unknown girl coming from his room.

Actually scratch that, the morning had started the most terrifying way possible. The unfamiliar yell that dragged him out from the unfocused dreams he had been having and back into reality put him in quite the scary predicament.

Right as he woke up, his eyes had darted to see what was in front of him. In the shadows a familiar figure froze in shock.

The boy had never seen Kiritsugu this much shocked by something, or someone in that particular case, but the sight soon turned dreadful as he ended up noticing what the man was holding tightly on his hand.

It was a gun. Shirou was no weapon expert but… he could see it was a gun.

He paled a little, even though the older Emiya relaxed the aim of the deadly device, his attention completely taken by Gray.

"S-Saber?!"

What?

Part of him was quick to jump to the conclusion that the black-haired man knew of Gray but… how?

How could he know the girl? Even the female seemed confused at how she had been addressed, completely taken by surprise by the appearance of the man and… what was going on?

If Gray wasn't this Saber… who was she? Why Kiritsugu though that Gray was this individual and-

The rush of the adrenaline started to dampen as the morning tiredness from being yanked so forcibly out of his rest started to rear its ugly head.

Fear followed the panic down his core as Shirou realized something peculiar.

A simple iron chain starting by a metal wristband in the girl's right hand stretched long and until the strange bird cage at her feet.

Inside of it a… snickering box?

Name: Add  
Title: Logos React Replica  
**Denomination**: Mystic Code  
**Main Directive**: Mystery Containment

What was that?

As if on cue, the box turned to glance 'his' general direction before giving up 'his' joke-ish expression to show genuine shock.

It was still for a brief moment, then a large 'smile' spread on 'his face'.

"**So this is truly happening…**" It spoke, surprising the redhead even more as it gave more of its 'liveliness'.

The voice seemed to also broke the extended staring contest between Gray and Kiritsugu, both now staring at the aforementioned object of confusion and shock.

It didn't help Shirou's nerves as the older Emiya's weapon was levelled onto the birdcage, but the box seemed the least concerned by the threat of bullets and more intrigued by Shirou himself.

The boy blinked.

The box snickered once more. "**I can only wonder how the Scabbard had found its way into you, brat. But I suppose it is the reason why you decided to save my dear owner.**"

"_W-What is going on?_" Gray's soft voice broke into the chat, her green eyes showing uneasiness at the whole situation.

First she was kid-_saved_, and now she was seeing the box reacting, _speaking to the boy_.

"_Your name?_" Kiritsugu asked with a flawless english and Gray meekly turned to face him.

"_G-Gray. I think- yes, I think it's Gray Pendragon_."

He raised a stunned brow as he was unable to fully decipher how a descendant of the King of Knights had managed to find her own way into Shirou's room.

"Okay…_ Gray_." She nodded at his tentative grasp of the name. "_Can you tell me how did you get there?_"

She opened her mouth but didn't spoke. Doubt suddenly took hold of her features as she seemed unwilling to speak further.

The Magus Killer let a tired sigh out as he found himself dealing with another child.

"_My name is Kiritsugu Emiya_." She blinked in surprise as he finally introduced himself, letting down his guard just this once. "_I know that you are in quite the strange predicament, Gray, but I need you to answer my questions so I could help you in return._"

She blinked again, conflicting thoughts expressed by her own face.

Then… the girl spoke. "_I-I was being hurt by- by my uncle and-_"

Kiritsugu's blood froze at the mere idea that the child, no more than just a year or two older than Shirou, had been abused.

Several theories danced in his mind, but the closest thing he could gauge up was related to Gray's appearance and surname.

As one of the few descendants of King Arthur still alive, she was a good candidate to make use of the King of Knights' arsenal.

While Excalibur had been one of the most known, the Ruler of Camelot had owned other magical objects. That was something that he could remember from the nights spent in the long research about the known description of the legendary king.

Carnwennan, the knife she had used to slay the with Orddu;

Rhongomyniad, the spear was barely mentioned only in Geoffrey's Historia;

Pridwen, the ship that Merlin blessed with grand attributes;

Clarent, the Cerimonial Sword of Peace used to knight heroes of the realm;

The very last one had been the least probable to be owned by the King as a Servant, legend having that Mordred stole it from her and then used it to kill her in the battle of Camlann.

But the reason behind this little digression wasn't out of context. While the real Excalibur was safely hidden from the Fae community, the same couldn't be said about the other objects.

Pridwen was hardly a good thing to invest into, especially in an age that saw no use for the magical ship.

Carnwennan was a good possibility but Clarent was also one of the things that had been left outside of the Royal Treasuries.

Rhongomyniad was complicated to fully take in the equation, as the lack of details gave little to none chance to truly make it or not a possibility.

Still the box continued to speak, unfazed by what was going on the background as he continued to poke around Shirou with questions.

"**So you have been seeing the sword**." The boy nodded slowly and the Mystic Code sighed. "**I guess it is something induced by Avalon.**"

"How do you know about this, Mister-" "**I ain't a 'Mister', boy. I am Add.**"

The Gamer paused just a moment to gauge the name given but he was interrupted by the box's voice.

"**I expect no joke about my name. It has been given to me by a very annoying 'young girl' that I would be more than happy to scold for her foolish behavior and-**"

Shirou blinked blankly as the small thing started to rant and lash at the bird cage, shaking it every once in a while.

Reiterating his previous statement, Shirou sighed at the madness unfolding before his eyes.

**What an awkward morning.**

-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-

"So she is the daughter of a close friend of yours and… she is going to live with you and Shirou-kun back in Fuyuki?"

Taiga looked perplexed when she had spotted a young girl with a shy look in her face walking close to her surrogate Otouto.

Perplexed and quite skeptical at the excuse Kiritsugu had given to her.

It was the closest thing to a good reason for the girl to be taken to Japan, so good that normally one would just roll with it as it wasn't truly that unusual for this kind of situations to happen.

And yet the Young Tiger was showing her innate capacity to smell out strange things.

So, trying to appear innocent and all, the older girl was more than eager to engage in a 'friendly' and totally 'not-an-interrogation-session' chat between 'women'.

Gray was kind of embarrassed by the attention she was receiving by the teen, throwing off the probing attempts from the Japanese girl with her meek personality.

She looked this much defenseless and yet so sweet at the same time.

Who could be so inhumane to harm such a simple being like her? (AN: Yep, I did this and I do regret it a little)

Taiga lost interest in trying to get more info from the girl about herself few minutes after, her topics switching to mundane things and soon.

"Shirou-kun! We are going for some shopping!"

..."What?"

"Gray-chan here says that she has little clothing on her and we need to get her something."

And by something, the redhead grimaced, she meant a full-fledged wardrobe… for the season.

Girls were strange and Taiga's tomboy personality barely altered her feminine need to buy clothes.

Such was the tragedy of shopping. (AN: Aw boy, here we go again..)

So once the two girls had left the hotel to search for some clothing shop, Shirou had simply decided to walk back to his room and-

"Shirou." The Gamer paused as Kiritsugu's curt and sharp tone reached his ears. His amber eyes glanced back at the adult and the man sighed in response to his surprised reaction.

"Could you sit back to your seat? I wish to have a discussion with you." He stated calmly. "A discussion about your knowledge of the Moonlit World."

The redhead blinked before complying to the request, waiting for his 'father' to explain what he wanted to truly know.

"Let me ask you this before we go for this..." He paused a moment causing the boy to frown as the man at the youth. "Are you hurt?"

The Gamer blinked but decided to reply negatively. "No."

Kiritsugu nodded. "Good." He sighed. "Then can you please tell me how did you enter in contact with Magecraft?"

After having experienced something similar in the recent past, Shirou merely kept a blank mask over his panicking mind.

Was this worry speaking once more? Or was the man now suspicious that the child had some mysterious power on him.

"As I said, it was just-" "Don't lie to me."

What?

There was some brief silence after the interruption, his head feeling getting warmer the more his nervousness increased.

"Shirou, the reason why I am bringing this up again is..." A pause. "I don't want you to suffer."

The boy blinked but didn't speak. Something was going on and it was something he was unaware of.

The older Emiya took it as a reason to continue to talk.

"The Moonlit World- no, _the real world_ is not meant to be dealt with by a 7 years old."

"I am not-" His mouth closed as he found the man glaring at him, demanding his silence just this once and… Shirou felt scared at the power behind the eyes of the weary Emiya.

"I can understand that you wish to 'fix the world', just like this was some kind of game-" He closed his eyes and he looked older than he should be. "But life is not a game, Shirou."

"You don't have save files, you don't have 'Quests' and there isn't a damsel for you to save." His eyes were now on the table, something awful barely hidden in them. "_There are no heroes_."

The Magus Killer blinked. "There is no justice, there is no grand reward no matter the effort and sacrifice, the death and the blood you have shed for the sake of a foolish dream."

…

"W-When I was your age, I believed that the world was small." His voice cracked a little. "Small enough to be easy to understand, to fix, to care for and then to love."

"It wasn't enough." He continued, the sad crescendo seemingly endless as no climax was there to collect. "It is never enough."

It was an uneasy silence that followed shortly, the man looking tense as he tried to contain what was inside his head from fully leaving out of his mouth.

It was kind of surprising to see someone so collected as Kiritsugu, someone that had been close to resemble a wall with his stoic manners and face, appear so open.

It was quite scary, but also morbidly fascinating to watch as it all was coming to crumble around them.

The world looked so insignificant from where he was sitting, from the attention he was devoting to his caretaker.

"I..." He looked nostalgic there, just like he was trying to explain something incredibly difficult, too complex, to someone so clueless. "I had a beautiful wife."

"She was… amazing. She knew everything about me, every single part of my darkness and she still loved me." He cracked the ghost of a smile, the thin line in his face disappearing momentarily as he remembered.

"An angel. A beautiful creature."

But why he was telling him this? Why Shirou needed to truly know this when- when-

His mind failed to register the warm liquid forming in his eyes.

_She smiled ever-so beautifully. "C'mon *Bzz*-kun, you can still try tomorrow_"

His first time at the park. He could… remember it. Part of it, a good one.

Was that his mom? His brain gave no answer, but his heart let out a loud beat to his soul.

It felt… nice. Nostalgic but… also saddening.

"She gave me the greatest treasure I could ever be bestowed with." Kiritsugu finally smiled, a genuine one for the first time Shirou had seen after having been adopted by him.

"My Illya..."

The man seemed distracted, absent even, but the Gamer was still here and… he could swear that he had heard this name before.

Why it did felt familiar? Why it also felt unknown?

He was clueless, but the Game finally decided to speak up after so long.

**-The Lost Girl-**

**Time Limit: Undefined**

**People lose faith in those they gave their hopes. This girl, Illya, is someone that needs to be saved. Support Kiritsugu in getting Illya out of Germany!**

**Hints**

**Sometimes we need to make choices. The easy path is almost never the right one.**

**Reward**

**-New Companion: Illyasviel von Einzbern-**

**-Unlock Illya's Route-**

**-Improve REDACTED's closeness-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Illya's fate is forever sealed-**

**-Illya's Route is closed-**

**Accept?**

Y/N

Shirou accepted, but his mind was taken by the simple idea that…

That he had more family. That he had a sister and… he was going to save her.

_I am bone of my sword._

* * *

**AN**

**I admit I kind of expanded upon the interlude in this chapter but… I think it's time to remind everyone what is going to be the big treat for this Tutorial Arc, the very thing that will wrap things up.**

**Soon, in the Einzbern Castle…**

**P.S. Gray doesn't speak Japanese... yet. She will have to learn from her new 'Big Sister'.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**Surya25addanki:**** Here it is!**

**Guest (Chapter 13)****: Been having some updating issue because of Uni exams but now that the session is over I will be able to update it regularly every Friday.**


	15. Lance (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Lance (4)**

* * *

_**Rome**_**, Italy**

Rain was falling ever so slow as she continued to stare quietly from the small window near to her little desk. Yellow eyes blinked once, then twice as the little girl tried to find something interesting to do as the dull man continued teach for the umpteenth time about the Sacraments and the Cardinal Virtues of the Holy Church.

If she had been as old as the rest of her classmates, Caren Hortensia could have gained some interest in the highly-detailed depiction of the important rules that made the entire organization of the Holy See work without issues. But the young girl was five years younger than any of the other children, heirs and heiresses of noble families close to the Church for a reason or another, and the complex level of this 'catechism' was… boring.

It wasn't her fault that some of the words used could hardly make sense in her young mind, which was still lacking some dictionary's basis to help understanding the lessons themselves. She was stuck here, obliged to take the dull words (some familiar, some unknown) while being unable to properly learn anything from those.

Caren held back from sighing, unwilling to give to the strict teacher by the farthest back an excuse to actually punish her. Being forced to spend alone an entire hour out of the classroom was something ten years old students might be able to endure, but for someone her age and with her vivid imagination it was quite a dreadful experience.

She could remember getting this punishment only once, by the third day in that class as she was trying to still understand the lessons about the Cardinal Sins and the two reigns of the afterlife. Her mouth had twitched accidentally as she softly yawned, not because of the lesson itself, but because she had slept very little the day before.

Her grandparents were the kind of people that persistently tried to enforce more teachings upon her, extending her knowledge beyond the Church's very foundation and into the much more interesting world of Magecraft.

The interest in teaching her such arts wasn't something driven by the possibility of her being able to use any ability as her body lacked the Circuits to allow her to do anything with those. It was a preparation in case, if she wanted to work on the 'frontline', she ever had to face a Magus and… deal with him.

The Magus Association held questionable relations with the Holy See, working together with it during dire times while also keeping itself from entertaining warmer relationships. It was something that was motivated, something that came mostly from the backlash the Church was responsible centuries ago, when men and women, children and elders, were tortured and burned because they used… dark magic.

Magic was also something that had been part of her after-school lessons, the very definition of it very different from Magecraft itself. While the latter was used to replicate in a limited degree the effects of Magic itself by keeping a close attachment to the World's rules, the former had very few practitioners around and most of those were hardly individuals with a full grasp of their potentials.

Even Zelretch, the Wizard Marshal which was labeled as a dangerous monster by most of the Holy See, seemed to barely use the powerful Second Magic, the capacity to attain power and traveling in other dimensions. At least that was as far as the 'world' knew about as the vampire seemed to hold quite the secrecy over his actions in the last few decades and her grandparents were quite sure that some huge calamity had already been prevented thanks to the 'Ancestor'.

The term was actually a very lose reference to an old label the Church had once used to describe the strongest of the Kaleidoscope's kind, failing to take hold as it lacked some weight regarding the whole classification. Strong vampires were incredibly rare, the balance of the World more stable when some of those 'disappeared' from world-wide sight, leaving just eight or so 'Ancestors' alive.

Some of them were employed by the Magus Association, others were integrating in human society like Val-Fem.

Caren stopped thinking about this all, her head now hurting as those complex descriptions were still something she was unable to remember without getting some headaches by the end of those. She might be 'a prodigy' but as a five years old she could hardly do 'miracles' with her developing mind.

It didn't help her case when her father, Kirei Kotomine, was still held with grand prestige by the higher council of the Holy See. The man had gone in Japan to fight in some important competition and had become the new Church representative for any future challenges like this one.

The girl would be lying if she stated that she didn't have an ounce of curiosity regarding her biological father, the priest being described with such candor and respect that her interest hardly wavered when he was the subject of some discussion. She wanted to met him and had requested to at least see him, to know how he looks like now.

The reply was and will always be a negative one from her grandparents, the two elders repeating to her that she was either too young to be bothering or that her father was too busy to actually return to Italy to see her.

Every time she would get this kind of responses, something would feel weird. Her chest would tighten up and… she would feel tiny, unimportant and…

And it hurt. It was nothing physical, nothing even close to that. But it still left her bitter for a while, unable to keep a composed mask for several minutes and she detested it. She was a little girl and yet she was expected to be _older_, to be more _polite_ and to _bring glory_ to the family.

But which one of the two? The Hortensia or the Kotomine?

She blinked back to the lesson and dread surged from within her core as she noticed that the teacher wasn't talking and wasn't sitting by his desk anymore. Eyes widening slightly as her eyes crossed the stern frown the man was giving her while standing in front of her, a light blush appeared out of embarrassment as the teacher muttered few words.

"_Vada fuori, signorina Hortensia._" (1)  
**Ms. Hortensia, please leave the room.**

Nodding dejectedly, the little girl left her chair and slowly walked by the door, ready to experience the second punishment in two months and… she sighed once the door closed, feeling less constricted by the limiting decorum that staying in a classroom demanded from students.

Hopefully her grandparents will understand once more how this wasn't her fault just like last time.

Hopefully.

* * *

Gray Pendragon was unsure about the development of the situation around her. While she had been glad to be 'saved' out from the village by Shirou, the whole change of scenery and the discovery of what a plane was, while also being asked to board one, led to some confusion and nervousness from her part.

Flying was… strange. She preferred to keep herself neutral from defining the experience either good or bad, but the sensation it brought- the idea of being inside something that is up above in the sky – was something that left the simple village girl… floored.

Ignoring some silly notions of fear about the possibility of the plane falling and crashing that **wouldn't have never happened** in Taiga's very words, the girl had enjoyed the surprisingly smooth voyage, feeling incredibly endeared by the calm it brought to her during the long flight.

She decided to spend a mere hour reading some more of the elementary grade Japanese textbook the man, Kiritsugu, had brought to her before they left for the airport, then choose to follow everyone else's example and fall asleep, the place and situation ideal to enjoy some rest.

Once the plane reached for its destination, Gray found herself awed by the different sensations Rome brought her. It wasn't London, but the former capital of the long-deceased Roman Empire had a luster that the English city hardly could achieve. The monuments, the museums with important paintings and… the corruption.

The small hotel room had a TV and, using her minimum knowledge of the language and Taiga's creative thinking, the two girls came to the conclusion that something big was going on in the boot of Europe. Several News channels were detailing the fall of the current government and several investigations for illicit funding all directed to the most important politicians.(2)

When Kiritsugu entered the room after dealing with their luggage, without even scoffing at the images shown by the device, shut it down and merely said it was something too complex to explain. Gray accepted the curt 'explanation', while Taiga decided to pester the man a little more.

Aquamarine eyes turned away from the funny scene and onto Shirou, the boy emerging from the bathroom while yawning. He was still dressed with normal clothes, having already said that he and Kiritsugu were going to do something before returning back to sleep. A strange predicament, but she hardly felt entitled to probe for more information from the tired-looking boy.

She merely smiled and nodded his way, catching his attention and getting a big smile in return. For some reason that eased most of her worries and… she liked seeing that.

"Ne, are you going to tell us where are you two going? You still didn't tell, Shirou-kun."

The redhead sighed and shook his head. "Sadly it's a private matter, Taiga-nee. I promise everything will be clear once we got back."

Everything will be clear… once they got back? What could 'explain' something this mysterious once they returned? Were they going to bring in something or someone else?

While the idea would be far-fetched in a normal situation, Gray had been part of a very similar case and she wouldn't be that much silly to ignore the possibility of some other individuals joining in before they all returned to… Fuyuki.

She hummed quietly as she relaxed on the soft bed that was hers to use during their stay in Italy. Japan was going to be much different, if the Fujimura's statements were holding true about the Asian nation then she will have to be ready to see many 'strange' things. Culture shock, that was how the energetic Japanese girl had condensed the whole set of emotions in encountering a whole different culture.

But while the aforementioned female continued to pester the young boy, Gray started to contemplate a 'minor issue' related to something that will have to happen later that day. How was she supposed to sleep alone and without Shirou?

Not that she utterly needed his presence around, but it would have been nice to cuddle up just like it had happened back in London. He didn't move while sleeping and was pleasantly warm to have around to rest with.

Maybe if she 'bribed' Taiga with the promise of sharing the bed with her too she would actually help her with the small plan she had just finished to draw down on her mind. The beds were small alone, but they could be moved and put together…

* * *

Caren yawned as she continued to walk alone back home, her mind drained from any capacity of doing much more but fall asleep at this point. Her schoolbag weighting on her back, the little girl felt her movement reduced by it and had to push more strength in every step she took. It was lunch time and her stomach demanded some nourishment after dealing with such a tiring day.

Deciding to not waste much time around the city, especially with the foul happenings in the political world, Caren took several shortcuts she had learned about after months of walking around through Rome. Her home, a small mansion just outside the city, was protected by several boundary fields erected by her great-great-grandfather after making some unpleasant rivalries with some wealthy men in the aristocratic circles around the Church.

Taking a corner and then another, the walk lasted about half an hour, the usual time for someone with her pace and will to reach home quickly and she was surprised by two things once she sighted home: The gates were open and… there was a young boy sitting by one of the benches along the dirt path that traced through the small hill between the external entrance and the main building.

Her steps slowed down, eyes directed at the redhead as she tried to comprehend why he was there and why she felt like-

…

…

She finally reached close enough for him to notice her presence, amber eyes turned to stare at her and he tilted his head curious as Caren seemed to be staring at… something else. Her eyes were directed just above his head, _words hovering there that made no sense at all._

**Shirou Emiya**  
**LVL. 11**  
**Age: 7**  
**HP: 550**  
**MP: 1200**

Was this a dream? She blinked once, then twice before the boy finally started to speak.

"A-Are you alright?"

Caren could recognize English as she had heard her grandparents making use of the language to speak with some of their employers from other nations. She knew enough to politely introduce herself and she shouldn't have been able to understand the question being asked to her… and yet she could.

Thanks to the floating words below his head.

"_S-Si_." She replied shyly and nodding. "_I-Il tuo nome è Shirou?_"  
**Yes. Is your name Shirou?**

At this the boy froze in surprise as he was not expecting her to know about his name. It was odd, the capacity to see his name there with this… level? What were HP and MP? Yet the pressing issue was manifested when she stared up and she saw words above her head.

**Caren Hortensia**  
**LVL. 2**  
**Age: 5**  
**HP: 140**  
**MP: Blocked**

...Oh?

"Y-You can see it?" The boy muttered in shock. "You can see the-"

"_Le parole sopra le nostre teste_?" She suggested and he nodded at her.  
**The words above our heads?**

The girl decided to take a seat in the free space on the bench.

"_Li vedi pure tu_?"  
**Do you see those too?**

"Y-Yes." He fidgeted in his spot. "B-But you shouldn't be able to."

"_Perché?_"  
**Why?**

"W-Well, the explanation is a very difficult and I don't think I have the time to-"

"_Spiegamelo o ti butto fuori da qui!"_ She stated determined.  
**Tell me or I will throw you out of here!**

Shirou blanched at the situation and sighed. "B-But I shouldn't be telling."

"Dimmelo!"  
**Tell me!**

He sighed as he knew he was fighting a losing war with the stubborn girl called Caren Hortensia and thus, getting her to swear that she wouldn't be telling to anyone else, he told her everything.

Magecraft, the Game and… his life mission.

* * *

Breaching the gates and the boundary fields around the mansion had been a very easy job for the Magus Killer. While the defenses were formidable, those were old systems that were now easy to breach with the proper equipment. 'Storming' this place was one of the simplest job he had ever had the chance to do.

While the Hortensia were a noble family in Rome, their wilting wealth and the lack of proper heirs had led to their prestige to decrease to the point not a single important family in the Urbs wanted to either ally or attack them. They would have made for an easy target if he had contracted to kill them but… today he wasn't there to 'clean' the place.

The small tea room was occupied by him, the two elders of the family and two butlers there to help in case of need. Eugenio and Maria Hortensia were nothing special if compared with the usual Magus counterparts for someone their current standing. Proud, but not for the right reasons, and prideful, begging for some attention once in a while by whining to the Church.

'Asking' for an audience with the two had been fairly quick as both individuals lacked the kind of protection to hold back someone his caliber and thus they were there, waiting for him to speak. The man waited for the two to get their own cups of tea before talking and, when that happened, he decided to start simple.

"I am not here to kill you." He stated bluntly, gaining a scoff from the old woman.

"Of course you are not." She agreed with some poison in her tone. "You wouldn't have wasted our time by requesting to talk with us if that had been the case."

"While my wife had shared our common thought over this matter." Eugenio interrupted calmly. "I fail to see what would someone of your standing be doing here of all places, Emiya Kiritsugu."

The Emiya nodded and stared coldly at the older man. "I want the custody of Caren Hortensia."

And with those words chaos erupted in the room, Maria taking the led to try and punch the 'arrogant fool' only to be restrained by her husband, which managed to see the danger even with the boiling anger within his chest.

"That is not up to discussion, assassin. If this is what you wished to have, then you have made a futile journey-"

"I have proof that Kirei Kotomine is responsible for killing your daughter." The sudden interruption broke the two elders out of their anger, bringing to both of them a state of confusion and shock at the allegations.

"W-What? What are you talking about-" "After the Fourth Holy Grail War ended, I managed to infiltrate the Church's building and take Risei Kotomine's files on the matter."

A dossier of files was dropped on the small wood table between him and them. "This contains all the documents that were withheld during the investigation about the suicide of your daughter."

While Eugenio looked skeptical about this, it was his wife that opened the paper and spotted a small crumpled letter. She opened it and the mother recognized her child's calligraphy.

His husband glanced her way as she silent read the content of the letter, tears starting to roll off her face. "M-My God. M-My little Claudia- S-She tried to- to- **to satisfy that horrible monster!**"

The sudden bout of anger surprised Eugenio which tried to hold down his old lover from committing something ill-advised. The woman turned the paper for him to see. The words that were so hopelessly failing to convey the love, but where actually showing how toxic the relationship had been between the two.

"T-That bastard- he ruined our daughter!"

The man blinked. "D-Dear, that is not possible a-and-" But he read, the words of Claudia Hortensia ringing some old bells of warning he had felt back when he had first seen the young Kotomine. He looked so much emotionless for someone his age, so much disheartened by everything.

The hopes of making him feel something from her daughters culminated with her own suicide and-

"Why?" He let out a weary croak. "Why you bother now, Emiya?- And spare me fake intentions, I am not in the mood for any of that."

The Magus Killer sighed. "I wish to keep a close eye on Caren. I have seen what kind of 'being' Kotomine is and…"

"You don't want another one around." Maria interjected curtly, looking as distraught as before. "But why not finish the job and kill her directly? Why even bothering to spare her?"

"I-" He stopped, pausing a moment as he felt the words failing him for a moment. "Because I have a daughter too."

Nothing too much was given and the motivation was strong enough to surprise them out of their melancholy. "A child? You had sired one and-" "You would take care of Caren, that is what you are telling us, right?" Eugenio blinked at his wife for interrupting him but she was focused on the Magus Killer and Kiritsugu nodded.

"I will take care of her." The matriarch stared a little more and then sighed wearily.

"Then you may as well take her." She turned to her husband. "She require safety and someone that can nurture her without comparing her with _her father_. Especially with the stigma we just learned about today."

"But it would get the attention of some-" "Not if we just say that we preferred for Caren to study abroad. They know to not trifle with us if we don't want to divulge further."

Seeing the woman agreeing this much, Eugenio couldn't but end up accepting the offer and, being provided by the Emiya with the proper paperwork to switch the guardianship of the child, he signed everything that was given to him.

A pit formed in his chest, feeling like there could have been something else that he could have done but… but now it was too late. Documents were signed and Kiritsugu Emiya was now the new guardian of their granddaughter.

May the soul of Claudia find some peace now…

* * *

Shirou sighed as he replied to the umpteenth question from the pestering Caren was giving him about the full explanation of the Game. She was sheltered and very young, making her inexperienced regarding Games and RPGs and thus the basis were the first thing he had to explain.

What were HP and MP, what is LVL and what were Skills.

He was dreading the fact he had been forced to deal with this predicament because for some interesting reason the girl was capable of only seeing the available data the Game furnished him already.

A quick **Observe** revealed what had made Caren capable of seeing this too and… he was confused for several reasons.

Masochistic Pneumatic Automatism Diathesis- I**f there is a person nearby who has been possessed by a daemon or a foreign entity, your body will mimic the end effects that the possession will eventually have on the possessed human.**

A genetic Trait that the girl had received from her mother, something that would usually be effective in finding Daemons but was capable of perceiving the Game as a… foreign entity? That was the current theory that would explain how she was capable of seeing his data but not being able to use anything else of the Game.

Half an hour of explanation later and Shirou noticed someone approaching. Kiritsugu looked quiet but he didn't seem to be gloomy about anything, meaning that whatever he had to do with the Hortensia had ended positively. He finally reached them and Caren instinctively drew close to Shirou.

The man did look menacing to whoever saw him the first time and Shirou was… someone that looked trustworthy at first sight. Maybe it was because he was a child and he looked quite innocent.

But Kiritsugu didn't address him first, but the girl trying to not draw his attention. "_Caren Hortensia. Io sono Kiritsugu Emiya e sono il tuo nuovo custode legale._"  
**Caren Hortensia. I am Kiritsugu Emiya and I am your new legal guardian.**

...What?

"_Dopo domani prenderemo un volo per andare un giorno o due in Germania prima di andare alla tua nuova casa. I tuoi oggetti personali ti saranno portati domani mattina._"  
**The day after tomorrow we will take a flight for a brief stay of a day or two in Germany before going to your new home. Your personal belongings will be sent properly tomorrow morning.**

"_Q-Quindi- Riguardo alla scuola-_"  
**S-So- about the school-**

"_I tuoi nonni hanno già notificato l'annullamento della tua iscrizione._"  
**Your grandfathers have already notified your removal from the institute.**

She nodded nervously, legs shifting before she asked again.

"_S-Signor Emiya. Lei conosce mio padre?_"  
**M-Mr. Emiya. Do you know my father?**

The man tensed but sighed calmly as he nodded his head.

"_Si, ma ti è vietato incontrarlo._"  
**Yes, but you are forbidden to meet him.**

"_M-Ma perchè?_"  
**B-But why?**

"_Kotomine Kirei non è una persona affidabile._" Kiritsugu replied quickly, the group already leaving by the gates now. "_Non è una persona da avvicinare per nessun motivo_. Capito?"  
**Kotomine Kirei is not a trustworthy individual. He is not someone to approach in any case. Do you understand?**

Caren nodded and kept quiet for the whole trip, staying close to Shirou as they traced their steps back to the hotel where they were currently staying, the walk taking another half-an-hour and ending up around dinnertime.

Once they reached for the door that led to the room, they found quite the insanity unfolding as it was opened The room seemed to have been completely flipped, clothes of various kind scattered on the floor as the two culprits that caused this chaotic mess were glaring daggers at each other from two different spots of the room.

Gray was the first one to notice the new spectators to this strange war, but ended up blushing and not answering the silent questions painted on the trio's face. Seeing her **enemy**'s blushing as she looked by the door, Taiga's followed the stare back to the light scowl in Kiritsugu's face, paling as she felt her sins crawling on her back.

"Uh- I can explain?"

Right as she said that, the lamp on the ceiling fell and crashed on the small wood table that had survived the onslaught, ending its lucky streak.

"You **will** explain." The Emiya stated curtly as he contacted the hotel reception and explained the situations, offering to pay to repair the damage as soon as the workers had finished. So while they were by the hotel's large dining room, Taiga and Gray started to explain what had happened after the two males had left the Hotel.

The latter had tried to entice the former about the plan of uniting the three beds, the Fujimura had refused on the basis that she was Shirou's big sister and only she should sleep with him. The conflict erupted short after and lasted for until they all returned back to the room.

Caren was smiling during the whole tale, for some reason finding the pure violent nature of this situation oddly fun to hear, especially with the subtitles giving a sense to this overall situation. It was like one of those movies she had the change of seeing few months ago before starting school… 'Fantocci'?(3)

Anyway, as dinner finished with a strong lecture from Kiritsugu in Japanese and English for both girls to understand, the old Emiya surprised them with an unexpected change sleeping arrangement.

Since the little Hortensia lacked a bed where to sleep, the man decided that she would have to sleep with Shirou. Both were small enough to fit in the same bed and the two showed no issue with the matter.

The protests came from both teenage girls, saying that they could try and make some different arrangements that would fit with their needs, but Kiritsugu denied any reconsideration, especially with what the two had caused almost an hour earlier.

Gloomy and defeated, the two girls ended up accepting the stubborn resistance of the Magus Killer. Meanwhile Caren found this whole 'beatdown' as endearing as eating ice cream, cool and delicious, plus she was going to sleep with the curious individual that was Shirou Emiya.

He was a nice person(?) and he seemed to be good enough... to be friends with? She never had a friend but, if she recalled correctly, being this much respectful and open to open to each other was meant to represent some good friendship material.

That night the girl found sleep easily as she cuddled closer to the boy's chest, finding it warmer and softer than any pillow she had the chance to try. It was also nice that said pillow could defend her from scary monsters and…

Yes, Shirou Emiya was definitively her first and best friend.

* * *

**AN**

**Caren joins in, my heads hurt after spending five full hours writing this and I might leave write some interlude too (dunno).**

**I am still trying to get accustomed to lengthier chapters and I find the process… difficult. I generally need two-three days but for this time I had to cramp up this in a single day- actually in five hours just as stated up above.**

**Feedback is appreciated as always!**

**Minor Glossary for some references:**  
**1) This kind of punishment is very well known in Italian schools (from elementary to high-school). The student that is caught by the teacher doing something bad is ordered to stay outside the classroom while also keeping by the door for a full hour. In Caren's case, even through she is young, she has been enrolled to a class with first years middle-high schoolers and the teacher is that kind of strict in Church-based schools;**  
**2) It's early Summer 1994, the entire Italian political scene has collapsed because of the Interpool's Operation 'Mani Pulite' (Clean Hands) which saw several major parties closed down and many politicians either arrested or sent escaping in other nations;**  
**3) Funny reference to Paolo Villaggio's Fantozzi character, a comedy-satirical movie protagonist that is… incredibly funny in my opinion. (The reception has mixed emotions but… I love these movies)**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Shadow of God****: Yes.**

**Surya25addanki****: Tweaking will take chapters and I will certainly not cramp things up in a single chapter. Like, I already gave a fragments about the 'Ancestors' and how they are going to be a hybrid of Fate and Tsukihime versions.**

**Guest (Chapter 14)****: It would seem there was Caren too, now it's Illya… in two chapters.**

**PasiveNox****: Shirou is 7 or that would make him 20 during FSN. (highschool at 20?)**

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you!**

**Sallyelley7****: **  
**1) In the material I found about her origins, she was 'trained' to be ready to use Rhongomyniad;**  
**2) Many heroes have descendants, just not through direct connection. Some of them had relatives alive and I think Artoria had some 'commoner' branch of the family on her (or Uther);**

**nintendoplayer96v8****: This story's universe will be a mash-up with Fate and Tsukihime, I will add along the way more details and I dunno about BB and Sakura Five, but I can say they will appear quite soon in my other fanfic, the Party Pooper.**

**Kingsman568****: Zelretch **_**was**_** strong. It is stated that by being turned into a vampire his power is incredibly weaker than he was prior to his fight with Brunestud and he didn't beat her as if **_**beat her**_**, he tricked her with a powerful illusion of the entire planet crashing onto her and giving him the time to seal her away. Zelretch is powerful, but fanfictions have overestimated him too much. He might be strong but he is waning the more time passes. Like, where is he in Fate/Extra? Plausible theory: He is dead.**

**Nameless Phantasm****: From a wrong translation. But I just roll with it cause I am lazy, not because I am saying it's right.**

**Fanboy02: There might be, yes.**

**Lazyguy90:**** Thank you!**

**SonJubbi****: Thank you!**


	16. Magic (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Little AN Before the chapter: I have read several people complaining about Caren receiving 'Game powers' and I think it's for the best I address the issue now. Caren DOESN'T have Game Powers. She is merely capable of seeing the open boxes and the data Shirou sees. Can she interact with it? No. Is this a Coop system? No.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Magic (1)**

Kiritsugu Emiya was restless.

Knowing that now he was going to finally get Illya away from the treacherous Einzbern? He was nervous. It wasn't the usual job, the usual 'hostage rescue' kind of mission and… the weight of failure was massively set on his head.

He was old, he was rusty and… the wound was hurting with the proximity to the castle. It was something that happened every time he had tried to get his daughter out of Germany. The sudden pain spurning his brain to not focus to anything else but it.

It was searing, like the fires that had consumed half of Fuyuki, but also chilling, like if inflicted by the cold metal of a blade.

Yet this didn't matter in the long-term, his mind set to the very plan to get Illya out of the Einzbern Castle.

A small window of opportunity, the rune he had managed to recover would be enough to open a two hours long breach, just enough time for him to rush inside, scoop her princess and make a run for it. Easy?

That is step 1, step 58 and step 198 of his convoluted plan. His mind had long framed and mapped the innards of the old fortress, a decade being enough to properly burn everything in his brain. Illya had to have been confined to her room, maybe given permission to visit the closest courtyard to… pass her time alone.

A painful squeeze, this time not from the wounds. Memories of playing with the little girl, memories that comforted, distressed and fueled him through the day since the end of the War. His blood boiled at the double failure he had managed to obtain by studying so little the complexity of the Grail, how easy it is for the device to 'mistake' a wish and…

No. He had already swallowed in that self-hatred for long enough. Those ill thoughts had to stay just for once, at least enough for him to be able to recover Illya and… bring her safely back home.

To her new home. Away from pain, loneliness and… with her new family.

Yet part of him was worried. Acht had been clear months earlier when he revealed his plans for the little girl in case Kiritsugu returned empty-handed or betrayed them. Being conceived as close to a real child, Illya lacked the right amount of Circuits and the proper ritual's configuration to serve as the newest Lesser Grail for another Grail War, meaning that the Old Bastard wasn't shy from contemplating a major surgery to implant the 'requisites' for the child to become his newest puppet.

Bile rose to his throat at the mere thought, but his mind was already going numb by the pain to really formulate a legitimate reaction on the matter. Too much… pain.

Hands shaking, the Magus Killer swallowed another handful of painkillers, feverishly glancing right where Shirou and the others were. All sleeping, even Caren having succumbed to the stressful drain of her first flight.

It was going to be difficult, he reminded himself, life was going to be difficult. More effort to help around and… to leave something behind for Illya and Shirou to use and live happily.

His trip to the deepest corner of the Magus Association brought him also a medical checkup. Seven years, his life expectation. The wounds were slowly eating away his Circuits and he received confirmation that a Crest Removal at this stage would be deadly and unproductive. Too much corruption, the illness had sink deep within his core and even his healthy bits were carrying fragments of the sickness.

Seven years to make sure that they didn't suffer because of his mistake. An arduous task that will see him waste his whole soul onto, one that, maybe, will grant him some peace in the small place in hell he had carved after years of killing and destroying people.

He had long renounced at the possibility of seeing Irisviel once more, his sweet angel already weighed down by the need of keeping an eye on _them_ to grant him any relief from his suffering.

Another quiet hour passed as he continued to watch over their sleep, further aggravating the growing need of making sure to leave a safer place. If the Einzbern had expected to encounter Kiritsugu Emiya anytime soon, they will find themselves surprised at the monster they have angered.

A monster driven by cold emotions, a monster that had once been tamed by his family… but was now unleashed for them all to _enjoy to the fullest_.

The Magus Killer, something no Magus should ever face without having finished their business. Because once they ended up dealing with it… everything ended without hesitation.

And as the Emiya continued to think about new ways to torture Acht with, Shirou Emiya was once more removed from his dreams.

* * *

Amber eyes opened to a familiar blue sky.

But differently from any of the previous times, Shirou found himself watching as Merlin walked back and forth as he was thinking of something. Fou was sitting placidly on a large rock, looking bored as his head followed the Wizard's pattern.

The demi-Incubus paused, his eyes wide open as he noticed Shirou. "You are here, good- Actually, perfect!"

The man's hands went to squeeze at the Gamer's shoulders, making the boy frown in distress at the panicked expression on his face.

"W-What?"

"We have a big problem, Shirou." Merlin started. "By 'We' I mean, you, me and Gaia itself and by 'big' I mean 'The Will of the World has a glaring Scar' problem."

"Fou!" Merlin twitched, not even glancing at the annoyed critter as he decided to offer more details.

"While our connection is not meant to allow me to perceive what is nearby you, as a connection it can still feel large waves of Prana, Od or… whatever you want to call the energy behind Magecraft."

The magician hummed. "From my basic understanding of what is going on, you are on your way to Germany and… right where this Scar is."

He paused to glance at some tree's branch, the boy frowning at his words.

"A scar? W-What kind of-" But the older entity interrupted him.

"The Will of the World is indivisible, it doesn't bleed nor it can allow rule-breakers. Beyond any of my previous beliefs, I got proven wrong by the serious issue that is sited in Germany."

"But why is it a serious problem?" The redhead questioned.

"It is a problem, little Shirou," Merlin started with an erratic attitude. "Because the world is not meant to be scarred. At least not without it requesting as such… but this is not warranted. This is something new and interesting… that I cannot properly pinpoint!"

"So I have to fight… this?" He asked with some confusion. "I mean, it sounds to me like something a little beyond my current level and-"

"Sadly I don't think you have a choice. While my Clairvoyance isn't top notch, I know you will have to fight with whatever pest is causing this issue with the World and..." He sighed gravely. "I don't think… you are ready to face it. Not even close."

As Merlin finished with those words, his hand pressed on Shirou's chest. A strong light blinded him as he felt warmth spreading across his body. It wasn't as painful as when he received the Magical Core but…

Something had changed. The light finally diminished until everything returned to normal.

The Wizard yawned as he took a seat on some rocks, eyelids half-closed as his tiredness was well exposed to the child. "This will… give you some edge. Nothing too special, nor too developed. Just enough to make the difference."

"Wh-What is it-" The man gestured him to keep quiet, staying silent just few more moments before replying to his legitimate question.

"Nothing to worry about. Just focus on dealing with the threat, keep your friends safe and..." A strange grin appeared on his face. "Do get yourself some girlfriends."

"Uh?!"

But Shirou couldn't speak further as we found himself dropping out from the dreamy place and back to reality, his eyes opening slowly as a hand was shaking him awake.

"Shirou-kun! We have landed!" He groaned as Taiga giggled at his sleepy nod, while his mind reflected upon Merlin's words and… the fact this might be related to what Kiritsugu wanted to do here.

If the Wizard had stated that Shirou was going to face it very soon, and he had planned to find out what the older Emiya wanted to do in order to save Illya from… the Einzbern? His mind was still recovering from the several jetlags to truly remember all details in that exact moment, but one things was for sure.

Things were not going to be easy for him...

* * *

Deep within the grand castle that was her home, a little girl stared at the feeble fire coming from the candle on her bedside. It was little, very shaky and incredibly determined to survive. It had nobody to keep _her_ safe and happy.

Illyasviel von Einzbern sighed longingly as she continued with her quietness. Months had passed since Papa and Mama had left her to the castle, the War being something so dangerous that they had decided to leave her here for the sake of avoiding harm. Time has passed, the War has concluded without a clear victor and her Papa had… not come back.

She was sure that there was some good reason for his lateness. Even her grandfather incessantly repeating her that he had abandoned her failed to get a grip on her steel resolve. She knew well enough that her Papa merely had some issues to solve, maybe some enemy keeping busy and… and then he would come for her. She was sure of it.

The little girl was buried in several sheets of various colors, a colorful bunker away from the blank tones of the room and the oppressive cold outside. Her eyes, looking like the ones of a terrifying tiger waiting for its prey, darted to the door of her room, a soft knocking alerting her of someone trying to enter it.

A blank-faced maid entered, bowing at the mess on her bed as she fought back the need to 'roar' at this cur, daring to enter her reign! The reason because of it was… it didn't have the same results she expected, the maids always being this inexpressive that even faux 'eep' sounds failed to satisfy her need for 'fear'.

"Lady Illyasviel, es ist zeit." **Lady Illyasviel, it's time.**

The small child blinked in initial confusion at the implicit topic and then… her eyes widened in fear. Part of her wanted to refuse this 'duty to the family' knowing that it isn't something pleasant to experience. But she had to do it.

"Ich werde bald da sein." **I will be there soon.**

The woman-like puppet bowed again, before closing the door behind her as she left the room. Illya deflated at the situation before her. Her Papa wouldn't want her to go, her Mama would refuse too but…

They weren't there. What was little Illya supposedly going to do all alone against someone as scary as Grandpa? He was tall, cold-looking and incredibly menacing for anyone, a little girl like her would be eaten alive by that monster!

What to do- What to do!?

Nothing came up to her mind and soon, knowing that the impatient head of the family would take her lateness as a sign of defiance, she decided to slowly walk towards the door of her room, holding the pretty tiger plushy her Papa had bought her before going in Japan.

Yes! She will be brave as a tiger against that meanie, because her Papa wants her to be the strongest and bravest!

* * *

The moment they had reached the hotel he had paid for the visit, Kiritsugu quickly ditched them all by saying that an urgent call had needed his immediate presence by the house of his 'friend'. Ignoring the protests coming from Taiga and minor ones from Gray, the older Emiya was already driving away from them as he started to make way towards the trail that led further deep in the large forest of the German town.

He turned left, then right and Shirou felt his belly protesting at the hasty way his caretaker was dealing with the curves. It was going to take a lot to explain to the girls why he had decided to join in with Kiritsugu and… a lot more to explain to Kiritsugu why he was 'following' him to the… is that a castle?

Staring from the small space between his cover and the seat, his eyes were fixed on the large structure of stone, styled with an old medieval style.

It was quite big, larger than any castle Shirou would have imagined it to be.

Illya was inside that massive maze of stone? Now that was going to take a lifetime to go through it!

The car pulled over and stopped as Kiritsugu left the vehicle, walking in the middle of a snowstorm. The boy was already freezing by staring at the effects of the furious weather in that area of the town.

He waited few more moments before leaving the car too, shivers going through his spine the moment he was outside and experiencing the insanely cold temperature.

His eyes were half-closed as he felt his body fighting back the terrible weather, his legs taking steps towards the quiet Emiya. Soon the man picked up a… piece of paper, he placed it on the floor and took a step back.

An arch of light collided with a 'barrier', something that until now had been invisible and, after a brief clash, the beam 'burned' a large hole within it. Without wasting time, Shirou saw Kiritsugu vaulting over the other side starting to walk towards the castle on the distance.

Glancing nervously at the opening, the Gamer gulped nervously as he started to walk towards it and, after moments of silent contemplation about whatever or not he should truly go, he jumped through it and…

**[Warning! You are entering a Special Area!]**  
**Enemies in this Area: Wolves, Bears, Failed Homunculi and Battle Maids.**  
**Rank: C+/A-**

**[Special Areas]**  
**Some parts of this world could be considered harsh for a man to survive in. Made for heavy survival, Special Areas are zones within the planets that own certain rules that are different from any other places. There are multiple, limited enemies (non-respawnable) with different LVLs than each other and EXP are doubled.**

...Wolves?

Right as he thought about that, he heard the distinct howling of several canines already moving through the forest to find their new prey. With a strong and manly 'eep', Shirou started to run towards the castle, Kiritsugu having already disappeared from sight.

_**Life wasn't really getting any easier than before, wasn't it!**_

* * *

**AN**

**Shirou-chan just entered his first Special Area *turns to speak to the guests by the side * which is not a Dungeon because: a) It cannot be repeated, you don't get loot and enemies aren't fairly balanced LVL-wise. I blame lazy developers.**

**Next chapter is going to be some heavy-gaming LVL and I suspect that this minor section of the story will take two more chapters and not one as I had expected. I blame my need to be expansive on my stuff nowadays.**

****P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin****

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Reader0007****: It makes things easy between two kids with language barrier.**

**Merendinoemiliano****: The Church will throw a fit once things about Caren's new situation comes out.**

**Surya25addanki:**** Since precise numbers are not available in the known timeline, after some calculation I decided to make her 14-15.**

**Robocoaster****: And OP is going to be the final enemies.**

**Kingsman568****: After some serious thinking before starting this story, I have decided that there wouldn't be a Party System. Reputation/Relationships are dynamic and by that I mean that there isn't a precise number to understand if you are liked/loved or literally worshiped. While completing Quests grant some boost in a relationship, it's still a minor boost of an already present interest. I think after Illya the family will be completed.  
**

**Metaspin070****: Thank you!**

**Jim anime:**** It doesn't, I just suck at translating stuff. Also what I said was that the reason he developed to the fullest the UBW is because he had Archer around. The mere presence of his oldest self sparked an immediate growth of his Reality Marble and a full manifestation of it. Also this 'he dreams of swords' is because he got Avalon stuck within him since he was dying in the Fire, his Origin and Element got forcefully altered and he dreams of Camlann because of Avalon. **

**Guy2506****: He got turned in a vampire and got weakened after the fight. It is canon and you cannot deny that.**

**Sallyelley7****: Gray was nurtured to be able to use Rhongomyniad and I think she could theoretically use it in Canon. Shirou is not a descendant of Tokisada Amakusa Shirou.**

**Nintendoplayer96v8****: The reason why nothing is much known about the Nasuverse is… because Nasu decided to not explain some things. Sometimes he even make canon suggestions from his own interviewers for the sake of not getting the same question asked once again. I wouldn't call it laziness or ill-mannerism, I would say that he is seriously busy with too much stuff to give details to details as… Zelretch actually play a minor role in most of his stories.**

**Dragonfighter11****: It's not the inner pacing, I think it's the uploading pace being sluggish. I think I will set this to be updated every Sunday…**


	17. Magic (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Magic (2)**

* * *

This situation was far from idyllic.

Shirou's legs were starting to burn and the lack of tree between the forest and the castle's gate was giving him no means to properly dodge the attacks of the wild wolves giving chase behind him. Picking a tree's branch that had fallen to the ground, the boy was glad to discover that the mere stick was considered a sword-type by the Game.

A snarl come close, he could feel the snow forcefully pushed away as one of the animals decided to pounce once more. Yelping at the sudden ducking, Shirou hastily stabbed the stick up, piercing the wolf in its abdomen.

**-187HP!**

**+250 EXP!**

***Ding***

**Congratulations, you have LVLd Up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 12 – Exp: 4,78%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 470/550 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1120 (+100) (50 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 28+1**  
**INT: 26+1**  
**AGI: 32+1**  
**WIS: 26+1**  
**VIT: 33+1**  
**CHA: 21+1**  
**LUK: 22+1**

A pained roar, then the beast fell on the side dead, the wound killing it instantly as the young Gamer continued for his mad run to the Castle.

This was the third wolf that got killed this way and the Emiya was hardly considering the heinous deed of his act as his mind was mostly focused on one thing. Run, run to the 'safe zone'.

Considering the fortress safe was like calling prison a kindergarten-like place, but it would at least offer him the chance to get some rest and then proceed with his mission. One thing that he did notice beyond the feral fiends behind him was the fact that Kiritsugu was… already by the large doors of the castle.

_Seriously, how did he get there so quickly!?_

**-670HP!**

**+150 EXP**

Rolling away and delivering a **Charge Attack** on the fourth wolf, Shirou felt that something was different in that creature. It was thinner, smaller and… younger. Even the EXP that it had left behind was less than usual.

This detail wasn't lost as the previous ones had been bigger and scarier to look at, a strange detail that made him look back as he continued to run, that mere glance showing him… something horrible.

A massive slim tendril pierced from the ground, tearing apart the rest of the wolf and slowly a figure emerged from snow. Pale white just like the snowy field, the creature stood several feet above him, taller than Kiritsugu himself.

**Failed Homunculus LVL.23**  
1200/1200HP  
Class: Assassin  
Rank: Bronze

A rotund body, unnatural for a human being, reminded Shirou of a cartoonish monster. Three large black hole on its face, resembling eyes, turned to stare as him and soon… it changed.

Scrunching down with some bone-cracking noises in a ball-like form, the monster started to rush quickly towards him. Panic denied the existence of fatigue as the boy ran even faster than before, eyes wide open in fear at the sudden development.

Soon other lookalike monsters started to emerge from the ground, all following the same pattern and rushing towards him.

He could feel the fiends getting closer and closer, few meters from truly impacting on him. But before the first monster could actually hit him, a figure descended from above and slammed a long lance onto the abomination, killing it on the spot.

The smoke started to dissipate and his amber eyes widened at the woman responsible for his survival. Standing just few bits shorter than Kiritsugu, the red-eyed female was wearing a dress that Shirou found to be a mix of an old nurse dress and the very same one used by nuns.

Battle Maid LVL.45  
850/850HP  
Class: Lancer  
Rank: Silver

"Intruder." She stated with a blank tone, her eyes appearing so… inhumanly empty. "Your presence is forbidden. By violating the holy confines of the Einzbern's territory, you have forfeited your life."

Without wasting any single moment, the young Emiya rolled away from the lance of the woman as it swiftly lifted up and down towards him. The terrifying slam shook the ground underneath him, making him gulp nervously as he knew things just got worse than before.

"Desist." She continued to say with her usual tone. "Your attempt to survive the rightful judgment of the Grand Clan is only warranting further contempt."

The lack of emotion in her words sent even more shiver down his spine, the dreadful robotic mannerism starting to unnerve the boy as he gripped at the wooden stick even harder. She was faster but… that blade.

His eyes stared at the _halberd_ in her hands and he felt information flooding his mind and… he stepped forward, right towards the approaching weapon. The maid's eyes widened a brief fraction, confusion showing briefly in her features as she proceeded with the attack and-

**SWING**

**-380HP!**

He felt something splatter on his face. It was blood, yet there was no pain within his body. In his hand was no longer the same stick that had helped him against the wolves, but something that shone under the dimming light of the sunset.

It was slender, very smooth to the eye and familiar to his soul. It brightened his core, reminding him of duty, loyalty and… justice. A short scimitar well-made, well-crafted, _well-recreated_. His palms were burning a pleasant tune, contrasting the weirdly off-putting sight of the maid's arm flying away from her body.

**[You felt soaring as the connection is established, your nature unveiled.]**

**-Fake Concept of the First Magic (Sword 1/4)-**  
**The ability to recreate from nothing but the mere memory a Sword-Type blade, your Origin and Element aid you to the task of perfectly copying the essence of the object. Creation cost is 40MP for each blade, 4MP/s the maintaining cost. (Currently limited to non-legendary objects.)**

His breath itched for more action, the enemy far from dead as the woman went to try and grasp the near halberd, her face showing not a single hint of pain at losing her limb, her mind unhindered by the need of fearing the unexpected phenomenon that had just happened before her.

_**Don't stop here.**__**Our duty is far from over and the time to act is going to finish.**_

Right on his other hand a purely-black scimitar emerged, the twin of the pale one, ready to strike down the fallen woman and- No!

What was he doing? H-He could let her leave and-

_**There is no choice in this. End her at once before she can try and continue the fight.**_

_She can't hurt us if we go now-_

_**She will harm others we care for if we-**_

_Shut up! Who even are you?_

…

The strange voice didn't speak anymore, further confusing the distraught boy as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Why he had blacked out for a moment, why were there two swords in his hands?

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the Einzbern maid finally took hold of her weapon and proceeded to pounce at Shirou, blade poised for his chest. The redhead blinked as he barely dodged the blade, but not without taking some damage.

**-420HP!**

His shirt tore as his blood was spilled by the cruel halberd. A pained yelp surged from his throat, but his hand shot just in time to shut his mouth up before a scream reached out.

The black blade dropping on the ground and fading in blue mist, the Emiya's mind started to go autopilot, the hand holding his only way to defend himself swiftly slamming on the abdomen of the woman.

**-570HP!**

**+2500 EXP**

The body collapsed with a single **thud** as her blade fell right beside her. Unresponsive, Shirou finally got the clarity to question what had just happened and the first ideas were panicking him a lot.

***Ding***

**Congratulations, you have LVLd Up x2!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 14 – Exp: 15,34%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 180/600 (+100)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1075/1300 (+200) (55 (+10)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 29+2**  
**INT: 27+2**  
**AGI: 33+2**  
**WIS: 27+2**  
**VIT: 34+2**  
**CHA: 22+2**  
**LUK: 23+2**

The guilt of having killed a fellow human being was slowly riddling his mind with doubts. He was a kid, he was 7 and he should have stayed behind! Yes, with him here now, Kiritsugu was possibly compromised and-

_**Would you please shut up and think more about this?**_

_I-I killed someone-_

_**You killed 'something', Shirou. Something. That is not a real human being.**_

_W-What?_

_**Look at her arm now.**_

He did and… he frowned at what he could see from the limb. Where once it was connected to the body was some kind of… tube. It was a gray connector, like the very same the heating system back home used to connect to the water reserves of the household, that was now severed badly, blood slowly flowing out of it.

_**Those are proper Homunculi. The successful versions of those things that were rushing at you few moments ago.**_

His mind picked the pictures of the monsters and a shiver went down his spine at the mere idea that the two beings were related somehow. But how was it possible to create something so close to human and-

_**You are losing time! We need to move now or things will get worse.**_

_W-Worse?_

_**I will explain later, kid, just go.**_

Nodding at himself, the Gamer rushed towards the castle, his eyes stopping for a moment to glance at a small opening that led to the basement of the fortress. He decided to go there, seeing that the entrance was being swarmed and contended between the two kind of Homunculi.

Jumping inside, the boy felt the chilling wind outside dwindling away for some warm within the stone walls, legs still moving as he knew that he had to find Illya and get out of there.

_**Remember to keep an eye out for stalkers and ambushes there. We are inside the enemy's headquarters.**_

_U-Understood, Mr… eh…._

_**Archer. Call me 'Archer'.**_

* * *

Kiritsugu's mind couldn't help but wander a little with the memories of his past stay at the castle. Before the Holy Grail War and before he had lost… Irisviel. He could still remember the happy giggles of Illya as he chased her around the building, a silly game made to keep her busy and happy in that dull and boring castle.

Good times that were now long gone and his face kept tight as he passed over the massive doors that led to the throne room.

Jubstacheit von Einzbern was the eight Golem to keep watch over the Castle and the Clan, a duty he was bestowed from Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern herself upon her death. An event that left a certain impression on the tall being as the Homunculis that were produced with the task of being used for the Heaven Feel were only Justeaze-models.

There was no scientific proof that this version was the best one to manage the hardships of being the lesser grail and yet the Golem persisted.

Until now, when his eyes had settled on his little Illya. It was spite, something that he knew the behemoth knew of and could harness so freely as eagerly. A revenge against the man 'guilty' of having ruined the Grail War for his own wish.

Kiritsugu frowned at Acht, the elder-looking thing looking right back at him with an irked expression, red eyes close to become slits at the 'insolence' caused by his mere presence, just like a dog would get stared at my a furious owner.

"You have the gall to present yourself before the family you have betrayed, Kiritsugu Emiya." His voice was cold, restrained but still showing icy fury in its edge. "We have taken you in and treated you fairly, to think that you would-"

"Illya." The Magus Killer muttered, his mind zeroing in only one thing. His daughter, his little Illya, the only family he had left that was taken by those monsters. A permanent empty look on his face as Acht looked surprised for a moment at the sharp interruption, harrumphing as he felt slighted even more by his uncaring tone.

"_Illyasviel_ is part of the Einzbern Clan, Emiya. Your claim is void, null, and the chances for you to get her out of here are as slim as nothing." Something felt off within the Emiya as the Golem started to smile. "She will soon be turned into the perfect Lesser Grail, right now. _The day her traitorous father decided to come here to kill her._"

What?

"Do you seriously think we wouldn't keep monitoring your moves after what you did? We knew that you would have tried something this very day and we decided to prepare a… pleasant gift for you."

No. NO!

The door behind him closed with a loud noise, barricaded, as four Homunculis on each side slowly approached him with medieval weapons, his mind slowly giving away to his inner murderous self.

The smug look of the Golem was destroyed the moment the first flashbang went off, some of the warriors deployed unable to cover their eyes on time as the Magus Killer started to tear them apart with a MG42. The German 'Meat Grinder' had been modified to hold 250 bullets in small cases, making it a terrible monster in those close quarters.

There was no mercy with the first wave and attempting to swarm the Emiya with more Homunculi ended up only with more corpses staining the floor with their blood. Acht snarled as he got off from his throne and rushed at him, his body made bullet-proof by Magecraft and resilient materials.

Veins protruded from Kiritsugu's forehead as he let out a '**Time Alter – Triple Accel**' as he dodged the Goelm's first strike and prepared his own surprise for this situation. The Head of the Einzbern family looked deadly for a moment, before an explosion knocked him several meters away.

Dropping the MG42, the Emiya went to prepare the second rocket of his FIM-92 Stinger. The American-made Rocket Launcher was quickly loaded and the moment the large Einzbern rushed out of the smoke he was pushed away once more by another rocket. His clothes were shredding because of the shrapnel and the explosions, but his 'skin' was resisting quite well at it all, only few patches gone to reveal its inner structure, thicker than the attempt to recreate human skin.

"You shall die, intruder!"

Kiritsugu dropped the rocket launcher and retreated back to his third gun, a M79 grenade launcher. The little 'Thumper' was much more convenient to use as it guaranteed the same explosive capacity, while also having much more ammo to it for the occasion.

The Magus Killer only had two more rockets in reserve but more than a hundred incendiary grenades for his new toy. The moment the first grenade impacted on the ugly mug of Acht, the Emiya felt a smile on his face, ready to destroy the scumbag once and for all.

* * *

**AN**

**Wanted to bring a little more to this chapter but ended up deciding to drag some info for the next one. Why? Well, I want to shock some people with what I want to do and the only way I can do that is by bringing a lot of those surprise in a single one.**

**What I can say of surprising? Liz and Sella are Canon.**

**Also I have to say something about Archer and the new Skill I have introduced:**  
**1) Merlin didn't put EMIYA's soul in Shirou, Shirou was not possessed by EMIYA and no, Archer is not alive as of now. The only thing Merlin did was create a connection with EMIYA (Still in the Throne of Heroes) and Shirou to further deal with his growth, why? He needs someone that better understand him. Archer might sprout a lot about killing his past self, but before someone that is actively trying to balance out personal life and being a hero. What kind of moron would he be if he wasted the opportunity to make a 'good' Shirou Emiya out of the boy?**

**2) And now the skill, this explanation is pretty much uncanon because… currently it's just a theory of mine. While Tracing is considered a 'better' version of Gradation Air, I think this is a gross understatement. Shirou literally projects an object and 'its entire story', cutting off parts of the usual process of the Magecraft it is compared to and… magnified to an extent simple Magecraft could even hope to reach for. It is the closest attempt to partially attain the First Magic, limited to Sword because of Shirou's forced Element and Origin caused by Avalon. Before anyone say 'Shirou does not **_**create**_** from nothing but brings out from UBW' I have to say only one thing. The swords in UBW have to have been created at some point, the Reality Marble had to be crystallized within Shirou to fully manifest and… yeah. This is uncanon but… yeah.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Celian Cogitore****: Have to be a partypooper here and tell you that your assumption is partly wrong. While Nasu took inspiration from the Bavarian Castle, the Einzbern Castle was built before 1814. Why that date? Well, that is when the first Holy Grail War happened and the Einzberns already had that castle. Plus, browsing around to further check with this matter I found out from some good reddit users that the Neuschwanstein Castle is used by many japanese writers/designers because it is stylistically well-made, but the correlation is made in a very strange way in this case: The RL castle is in Bavaria, as I have just said, but the reason it is chosen is because Illya's theme is Die Lorelei, which originates in Bavaria. The Einzbern Castle is sited in the Northern Rhineland as it is located 'in a mountain district near a certain river (The Rhine)'. Alas yes, that should have been the case but the timeline is quite wacky about that. **

**Kingsman568****: To answer your question: Chloe and **_**Miyu Edelfelt**_** aren't going to appear in this **_**timeline**_** as they were exclusive to the Prillyaverse. Chloe is part of Illya that was sealed off when the Grail was dismantled by Zelretch in the Prillyaverse, gaining a body and independence when Illya, using the Archer Card, tried to hold back a magical explosion with Rho Aias. Miyu Edelfelt/Sakatsuki should be dead in the FSN timeline but… there will be**_** a**_** Miyu.**

**Dangai Ichigo****: They are not related. Muramasa does mere speculation about Shirou being his descendant because of his attitude with Swords that made him compatible with his spirit, but it is common knowledge the only reason Shirou is good with Swords is because Avalon that changed his Element and Origin to fit with its purpose. So no, they are not canonically related.**


	18. Magic (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Magic (3)**

* * *

Did he just enter the dungeons of the castle?

A chill went through Shirou's spine as he continued to search around the area of the fortress he had found himself into, eyes sharp and careful as he went to check every single corner for any sign of ambush.

While he was being lucky in finding this lack of resistance from the wome-_puppets_, the young Gamer was not as eager in dealing with the ominous tone of the old and forsaken underground zone he was racing through its halls.

_**There are going to be enemies.**_

_But what if I manage to pass unnoticed-_

_**They can see you through the walls, boy. Their eyes are modified to make you detectable even through barriers.**_

_B-But how? _

_**Your Circuits leave an imprint on your current position every time you use them. Thus the more you use those to fight-**_

_The more they will… see me?_

_**Yes. And no more interruptions from you, brat.**_

_U-Understood!_

_**Before we proceed, do you know what you are supposed to do there?**_

_I- I am- _

He paused, thinking how exactly he was supposed to find Illya without having ever seen her before in his entire life.

_I-I am trying to find someone!_

There was a sigh, then Archer spoke again in his mind.

_**Your objective has to be a child if she is Kiritsugu's daughter. **__**Maybe**__** even looks like one of those dolls.**_

_That s-sounds right- W-Wait, how do you know about K-Kiritsugu-_

_**\- DUCK!**_

_What?_

Eyes widening at the sound of a loud footstep nearby, the Emiya ducked just in time to dodge the unexpected attack coming from one of the closed doors on the sides.

Wood splinters went flying as the battle-maid readjusted her aim and tried to go for another attempt, this time the redhead forming a small sword to deflect the hit.

Guilty for destroying the homunculus few moments earlier was slowly drowned by the fact he was dealing with someone… a tad bit dangerous to face with this kind of thoughts troubling his mind.

**Battle Maid LVL.55**  
**1250****/1250HP**  
**Class: Lancer**  
**Rank: Gold**

"Intruder." Her voice was as blank and emotionless as the one he had to eliminate, her face being the same too.

Was this what Archer meant with Dolls? They did resemble like some complex puppets with realistic features like human-like faces and all but-

**CLANG**

Shirou gritted his teeth as he was pushed by the halberd, slamming on the on the ground of the room the Battle Maid had come from. A quick blink of his surroundings was what the boy could get before being engaged once more by the restless enemy.

He was in a large room, several materials being laid visible in the large wood table at the center of it. There were also two strange containers on the farthest part of the room, feminine bodies floating in those.

A strange sight if he had to be honest, but the Gamer returned his attention completely on the first and foremost threat against him.

Duck, roll away, dash to the side and finally an attempt on her defense!

**-368HP!**

Sharp was the edge of the small sword as it tore part of the homunculus' side, blood dripping from the wounds as it started to seep deep in the cloth surviving the attack. No reactions, she didn't even flinch as her long weapon returned to a guarding stance.

Shirou expected to be rushed again, but surprisingly enough some light started to form in her free, open palm.

_**You need to move now!**_

The order was quickly complied, Shirou jumping back as a pristine white ball was launched by the Maid and crashed on the floor right where he once was standing onto. A small explosion rumbled and smoke covered half of the room, creating a sight barrier between him and the homunculus.

_**Quiet and focus on with your ears.**_

_W-What!?_

_**Listen up and closely…**_

Gulping nervously, Shirou tried to keep himself quiet as he tried to hear anything through the dark smoke. It looked foolish, someone like him wouldn't be able to identify a small sound in that nerve-wracking moment.

And yet…

It was a soft step, almost impossible to perceive as it was just a brief moment-

**CLANG**

**-398HP!**

Blades crossed again but this time Shirou had the advantage, another sword in his free hand stabbed deep in the maid's stomach, blood spilling in a quick burst as some surprise finally found its way in her face.

_**Don't hesitate!**_

Not again, he repeated in his mind, not again he was getting distracted. He had to finish her!

**-398HP!**

**-389HP!**

Pulling the sword out of her body, Shirou brought both weapons to hit the maid as she tried and fail to retreat and recover.

**+2800 EXP**

***Ding***

**Congratulations, you have LVLd Up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 15 – Exp: 28,48%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 700/700 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 984/1400 (+100) (55 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 31+1**  
**INT: 29+1**  
**AGI: 35+1**  
**WIS: 29+1**  
**VIT: 36+1**  
**CHA: 24+1**  
**LUK: 25+1**

_**That was a meek fight. You need to give more of yourself.**_

_I-I am trying!_

_**Not enough. Never enough…**_

Sighing tiredly, Shirou started to look around once more, this time giving some proper looking at the curious tanks in the room.

Cheeks flushing red, the Emiya was quick to move his sight to the homunculi's faces and he noticed… that something was off with them.

One of them had short hair and seemed more developed body-wise, the other looking slimmer, younger and with long-hair.

_**Interesting… bring your hands on the tank.**_

_...Eh?_

_**We can't waste time wandering aimlessly. We need some proper directions and I just have the best idea possible about those two.**_

For some reason, the boy found the tone regarding Archer's plan to be _weird_, yet he complied like usual as his hands softly touched the glass texture of both tanks.

_**Close your eyes and try to find the 'strings'.**_

_...What?_

_**Just do it.**_

Sighing, Shirou tried to find whatever thing the voice in his head wanted him to find and, even through he was skeptical about this whole thing, he indeed found something that was strange to _feel._

It wasn't strings though, he could see soft-blue lines faintly connected to… other blue lines. He felt scrunching his face as he felt a sense of discomfort as he tried to reach for those. Ignoring the sudden strain, the redhead went to_ grab_ both strings and… everything burned.

So sudden but also so intense that his legs wobbled and he fell on his butt, groaning as his body felt like he had gone through twelve marathons without a single pause. Eyelids half-closed he thought that whatever Archer wanted him to do had failed as he felt too much tired to stand up.

_**You didn't. You actually succeeded.**_

_Uh?_

Glasses smashed as both ladies, now awake and understanding where they were, broke through the limitations of the tanks. As he tried to look up, he felt something soft smash on his face and force him even more on the floor.

Groaning at the being turned into a pillow, he heard a gasp as the shorter of the two women moved quickly by his side and tried to help him up.

"S-Shirou-sama!"

What?

"L-Leysritt, move! You are hurting, Shirou-sama!"

"I'm… hugging."

_**It would seem like certain things never change…**_

* * *

Illyasviel von Einzbern was starting to dislike her current situation.

With two maids by her sides escorting her to the rituals' chamber in the dungeons, her bravery and confidence was starting to slowly wane the more she spent time in that dark and gloomy section of the castle.

Until now her life in the massive home had been limited to her room, the courtyards with gardens and the lounge by the entrance. Never she had ventured this deep in the place and she was glad she didn't.

A shiver or two later, innocent red eyes stared widely at the terrifying instruments near the 'surgery table'. She didn't know what surgery meant, but if those objects were necessary for the task, then it was something the child didn't want to do anything about it.

As the two maids advanced forward, Illya stopped and thought how to deal with this predicament. Her mind reminded her of a time where her Papa told her about mean people that would hurt adorable girls like her and that wasn't nice at all!

She remembered how exactly deal with this kind of situations. Staring up to a dark corner, the little Einzbern mustered up the closest thing to a faux shocked expression and gasped loudly, ignoring as both servants turned at the same time in her directions.

"D-Da drin ist ein böser Mann!" **T-There is a bad man there!**

_While the foolishly-planned attempt would have failed to garner the attention of both homunculi in a normal situation, knowing that someone was going to attack soon the castle was enough to make any silly remarks worthy to be investigate properly and dutifully_.

Illya bit down a happy and gleeful squeal as both women turned away from her and moved towards the dark spot of the room, giving her the time to rush outside of the door and start to ran through the unknown and cold hallways of the underground area.

Softly giggling, she turned the first corner, then the second and finally the latter. It reminded her of hide and seek, the fun game her Papa would always lose because she was so good in hiding away from him and finding him when he had to hide.

Still this wasn't the simple and silly game where she would lose nothing by getting caught. Whatever scary things the maids wanted to do to her as per Grandpa's orders, Illyasviel von Einzbern wasn't going to stand for it!

Amused and determined, the little girl managed to create much distance between herself and her minders, yet she was sure that merely running wasn't going to be enough. She had to find the best hiding spot in this creepy place while also think how to deal with the 'post-game' situation.

Grandpa is going to be mad, but that is hardly different from the usual set of emotions he would show to her, thus the chances of getting in a worse situation were nigh-impossible. Maybe escape the castle?

Did she have a chance to find a way out of this massive building without getting seen by the incredible number of servants loyal to her mean grandpa? Maybe.

She repeated the word several times, each time gaining a little sliver of bravery in the process.

_Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe~!_

Another giggle, this time abruptly ended as she felt strong footsteps approaching towards her. 'Eeping', Illya turned another corner, this time her eyes starting to seriously scan around for any room she could use to hide away from the 'bad guys'.

Eyes widening, she started at the half-closed door that led to a dark room, her mind storming with the two alternatives as the footsteps were starting to catch up to her.

_Enter the scary, dark room or deal with the scary, creepy things of the 'Ritual Room'?_

There wasn't much to fear for any scary monster inside the castle, her grandpa flaunting how the castle was incredibly safe from any enemy of the Einzbern and savage animals.

It was enough to dispel any fear of finding some dangerous beast within the room and, without further ado, Illya dived inside the room and rushed behind the wall of boxed in front of it.

Stopping and crouching in a tight corner, her small hands reached for her mouth and pressed her lips closed, eyes carefully looking around as her ears tried to track down the noise of the footsteps.

She felt those getting closer and closer, her breathing intensifying as her heart started to beat a little faster, a little fear starting to create out of that game-not-game and the girl hoped that the 'meanies' didn't catch up with her.

Closer, closer and…

_And then further and further away_.

Several moments of silence passed and Illya started to slowly calm down. The worst was over, her mind repeated loudly for her to fully understand and soon she was once more calm but… tired by this whole effort.

Her short legs were now aching a little, the little run not something she had done for a long time and her determination was waning at the prospect of being caught before she could even formulate a plan to leave this place.

Sighing softly, the little Einzbern tip-toed towards the door and looked left and right out of the room, quietly humming as she evaluated what she should do now. Maybe if she went on the opposite side from where her chasers had come from, they will never caught up with her?

Nodding to herself, she decided to sneak out of the room and walk away from the direction the footsteps had gone. She started to hum some notes as she looked left and right, enjoying that little moment of relief away from the chase to explore this part of the castle.

Who knows what kind of treasure her grandpa was hiding here. What if there was some pretty dress? Or what if she found some real crown hidden in there.

_Prinzesin Illyasviel von Einzbern, enemy of stinky grandpa and daughter of Konig Kiritsugu._

She giggled at how odd her Papa's name would sound with the title and yet she found that this little fun thought lacked a very fine detail that only a pretty princess like her should have.

And that is a cute prince. Her Mama was clear when telling the fairy tales that a princess has to have a prince, always.

Illya wasn't going to be the exception and thus, she decided that maybe – possibly – she could find a prince lying around for her to take with her.

Looking left and looking right, the little Einzbern was less focused on where she was going but she still kept on guard for any suspicious noise coming in her direction. It wouldn't be nice if some of the 'bad guys' managed to find her before she got the chance to… never be found.

Maybe she should do like her Papa had told her to do in case she went 'missing' from home and from him and Mama. She did remember the _phone_ number, so it should be easy to call him and be taken away from the mean grandpa.

Yes, now escaping the castle made more sense and-

**BUMP**

"Owie!"

"Ouch!"

Illya felt some tears fall for a moment as the sudden painful moment reached her brain. Falling on her back, she massaged her sore forehead and tried to stare at the meanie that had been responsible for this.

She had been turning the corner when she had bumped in… a young _boy?_

Her red eyes widened in surprise in finding someone her age, trying to massage his own sore forehead at the impact and then… he opened his eyes.

Red met yellow and Illya felt something quivering in her chest at the sight of the golden-like color. She didn't find the crown she initially wanted, but…

She stood up and ignoring the two maids behind the redhead, she launched herself at him, tackling him on the floor like a lion does with an antelope. The boy yelped but he was unprepared when her arms wrapped around his chest without hesitation, literally latching the little girl at the panicking fellow child.

Like Mama would always say to her about boy:

"_If you find the little prinz you want only for yourself, you have to make sure he doesn't ever escape from you_."

She could also remember her Mama smiling while saying this, while her Papa would start to polish his guns when he heard about 'boys'.

Still, her mind was locked on a simple objective and that was-

"L-Lady Illyasviel! W-What are you doing to, Shirou-sama."

...sama?

* * *

**AN**

**You underestimated the power of Chibi Illya. Her cuteness defy space and time, literally becoming the adorable version of soviet physics.**

**If you are searching Illya, then she will be the one finding you.**

**Little assurance: Sella will be the lovely tsundere we all know and love, but it will happen once she will begin to contend the kitchen with Shirou and the rest will be with poor Kerry. Why tho? Well, I am trying to make justice for Prillyaverse!Shirou (Illya's brother) as he was left to deal with a large amount of women in the household all alone (But also because Kerry can take the punishment like a champ!). XD**

**Also… 700 follows! Yatta!**

**Lastly, the VN project is doing some good steps forward. Finally got Shirou's sprite going and it's kind of new (I wouldn't define it high-quality tho, trying to work with 0 budget makes things like that.). I am posting some Progress report and the next one will be… SAKURA-KOHAI~!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Celian Cogitore****: Dude, don't try to approach the place or you might be kidnapped by some creepy doll-like maid! XD**

**XiaoTehAsian****: Jojo reference, ja!**

**Dangai Ichigo****: It's because Shirou has the Element and Origin that makes him the best choice for Muramasa to make his means to become a Pseudo-Servant.**

**Lost Stardust1****: Who said he will be his… teacher?**

**Guy2506****: Sadly OC has to be created in Arc 3-4 but it will not be Sean Graham, nor anyone closely similar to him.**

**Nintendoplayer96v8****: First thing first, thank you for your kind words and I am glad that I am doing something good. Now about Shirou: He is already stronger than most of his peers, the level difference meaning little if his growth is well-distributed and amplified by Quests and Skills. He will face some scary fiends in the future; The Magus Association hunts only those they know that have an ability worth of Seal Designation, which is why Sakura doesn't get one even through she kind of keeps a fraction of her power as Dark Sakura in the HF route ending; Shirou and Archer thing, it will be a temporary situation for them and then… lots of swords…**

**Kingsman568****: The Magecraft is like gold to the Magus as the capacity to make use of Magecraft is limited. Thus when something cool and limited gets mass-produced and rendered obsolete by technology, it kinds of get annoying in a general sense. But I think the reason Magus hate technology is because it keeps reaching up for the grade of 'awe' only magecraft can. Technically yes, Magus could mix both magecraft and technology but the noble faction within the association forbids it, the only few ones being Sisigou and Kiritsugu (plus others I know little about). Magic Energy is something of a mystery and it isn't merely energy. It is strongly implied that Magic is actually the capacity to bend reality 'with your own power'. What it truly is, I don't know.**

**2627797****: Servants from FGO, yes. Other Servants, also yes.**

**DuplicateUserName****: It's the update pace at fault here, but also the fact the Arc 1 is technically the tutorial Arc which is… going to end up soon.**


	19. Magic (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Magic (4)**

* * *

Explaining who they were and what was going on to the little girl that had decided to tackle him to the ground for no apparent reason yielded some interesting results in the form of an objective complete.

Illyasviel von Einzbern looked like quite livelier compared to the maids that had decided to follow him around. Her hands were warm, much warmer than those of the Homunculi and the curious glint of adaptive intelligence visible in her eyes were proof of that.

Differently from Sella and Leysritt, the one of the duo specialized in knowing about the complex bits of the Einzbern Magecraft explained, Illya was 'molded' after the 'Justeaze-model' model homunculus.

The model was named after the legendary head of the Einzbern clan, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, and was one of the most modern and functional models available to the family.

A model that was obsolete and incomplete as many of the projects regarding this type of 'puppet' were keen to show flaws in their design, sometimes even discarded upon a first test.

Illya, and her mother Irisviel, were 'acceptable' successes of the two more recent attempts to promptly take the role of Lesser Grail for a… Holy Grail War?

_**Something that you shouldn't ask about.**_

_B-But it seems important-_

_**It is.**__**It's just that you **__**shouldn't**__** be asking about it.**_

Archer was an odd… 'talker'. Something about his voice and his tone sounded familiar while also… not.

He was secretive, keeping much away from the redhead but… maybe there was a good reasons?

Archer wasn't a bad person, that was a factual thing… but Shirou would be lying if he said he didn't want to know more about this… war.

Turning his attention back to Illya, the boy was actually surprised by the data offered by The Game.

**Name: Illyasviel Von Einzbern**

**Title: Kleinen Prinzesin**

**Age: 8**

**Level: 7**

**Health Points (HP): 300**

**Mana Points (MP): 3200**

Of course, this explanation was delivered in Japanese, keeping the little girl yet unaware of her real origins while also giving Shirou some extra information about the individual he was actually facing _and _what he should be expecting to deal with anytime now.

Until that moment, he had expected that there wasn't truly a proper pattern in the design process focused on the main appearance of the homunculi but, as stated by Sella herself, they were all created by the image and function of previous Battle Maids.

It was around the time that the little Einzbern started to huff in annoyance that Leysritt decided to curtly describe the situation, or at least with what her vocal system allowed her to say.

A strange issue that was related to the predicament that had occurred to the two 'women', both being put and prepared to be 'dismantled' for new models after failing to best represent their roles.

Which they wouldn't speak much about, only saying that the roles were 'important' for a special event.

After telling Illya that her Papa was inside the castle and trying to find her, the girl's eyes widened and her mood soared with a happy squeal.

Quick demands of being taken to the man were unnecessary as it was their very intention and thus the child decided to stay put and be escorted where her 'Papa' was.

The cute accent was lessened the 'demanding' tone the girl took towards the two maids and the young Emiya found himself rushing through the dungeons and towards the main staircase that would lead them to the first floor of the Castle, where the 'Throne Room' was situated.

Voicing his surprise and confusion over the two maids' certainty of Kiritsugu's current whereabouts, Sella was the one to reply once more, this time stating that if the older Emiya wanted to have a chance of beating the currently active security system in the castle, he would have to fight and destroy the Golem-Terminal of the fortress.

Which was a very sturdy and old Homunculus.

With the end goal set, the four commenced their quick rush towards the closest staircase, with both Maids equipping with their halberds as the vanguard of the group while Shirou found himself busy with the giggling thing called 'Illyasviel von Einzbern'.

While the girl seemed to not be complain about the current situation and merely giggled every once in a while, the redhead's issue presented in the form of having his hands literally busy with her.

The little Einzbern was bridal-carried through the whole path, hindering Shirou's capacity to help around the two maids and eliciting some chuckles from **Archer**. The man was eager to give some sassy remark but alas keeping the teasing to an acceptable minimum.

_**It would seem like you got your hand full of heroism. I wonder how she will develop in a few years from now… maybe she will ask to marry you.**_

_W-We are brother and sister!_

_**But not by blood and… she is cute right now, isn't she?**_

The protest collapsed the moment Shirou's amber eyes looked into Illya's mirthful red ones, his whole head covered in red as a full-blush hit him like a truck.

_S-Shut up!_

Cue another giggle from the girl, possibly connecting her proximity to the sudden embarrassment of the boy holding her.

For Illya, this was like a dream.

Being carried around by an exotic looking young boy that was almost her age (Just a year of difference, curses!) that was her prinz. Meanwhile mean people were being dealt with by the maids loyal to them.

It was odd to see the quirkiness of those two individuals, a stark contrast compared to the rest of the servitude, while they all led the way to her Papa.

Her Papa was here!

And the more they walked, the more this boy, Shiro(?), continued to describe what had happened to her Papa and why he did come earlier.

He actually did try to save her! But her grandpa had the barriers around the castle set so that he couldn't be able to access through and that forced her Papa to go and get something to pass through it.

Her grandpa had lied to her! Again!

This time she wasn't going to forgive that old grumbling thing and, from what she could discern from the other descriptions given by the two trustworthy maids, her Papa was personally dealing with him right now.

This meant that she was going to leave the castle once for all and maybe see the world!

She blinked, brief hesitation flashing in her mind as she remembered of the summarized lessons her Mama would give her about the world that waited just outside the big fortress.

A world that was pretty, immense and amazing!

But also a world that could be scary and… that is why she will leave with her Papa!

Kiritsugu will deal with any threat without hesitation and without issue as it was his duty as her Papa and he was super-strong!

They finally reached the door that led right to the humongous room that her lying Grandpa would spend most of his time in and… they entered inside.

Illya's red eyes widened at the scene she was staring at, the same reaction shared by the other members of the group with her.

Shirou felt panic rising as Kiritsugu was crawling away from the slowly advancing… behemoth of fake skin and gears, a true abomination between a doll and a machine.

So this was the 'Golem' Homunculus?

**Jubstacheit von Einzbern LVL.78**  
**6800****/25000HP**  
**Class: Berserker**  
**Rank: Gold**

_W-What?_

He had expected the 'boss' to be stronger than the common Homunculus but… why was he_ that strong!? _

Craters were spread all around the room, ruining the delicate and styled marble. By the kind of damage both the monster and the place were sporting, Shirou knew that his guardian didn't hesitate in showing his brutal arsenal against the hybrid creature.

It wasn't a secret that he did peek at some of the bags the man had in the car, it was also not a secret that the boy had seen just enough from the TV to know that the equipment wasn't meant to be used by a civilian.

"Y-Your little a-attempt ends here, Emiya Kir-Kiritsugu." The distorted voice sent chills down the boy's spine, while the girl in his arms jumped off and rushed towards the wounded man.

"P-Papa!" Illya rushed towards Kiritsugu, her eyes widen in fear for her remaining parent's life.

The shout stopped the fight, causing 'Acht' to turn around and… notice the new intruders.

His eyes, one still resembling a human one while the other seeming… cold, cynical and terribly uncaring.

"So… y-you weren't alone?" There was a shocked expression plastered on that hideous face. "And is that a… another child? And two maids- no, you two are- but how-"

He stopped, his eyes narrowing on the redhead. "_You!_"

_**MOVE!**_

Shirou felt panic surging as he felt something snaking around his legs and wrapping both strongly, strings made by blue-glowing metal started to lift him up and brought him near the terrible monster.

He tried to wriggle out, but the strings were resilient to any of the swords he could 'Trace'. His flailing was useless and- he looked around, trying to see if Sella and Leysritt were trying to rescue him… only for his hopes to be crushed by the fact both maids were fending off a new wave of Battle Maids, their attention taken by the seemingly endless group of attackers.

"I-I can understand i-if it's a-an treacherous assassin tr-trying to attack the Clan- But a child! Preposterous!" The strings moved, the hold tightening as more of those rushed to immobilize him completely. "I shan't allow a simple street rat,_ a filthy commoner to-_"

_A-Archer! H-Help!_

Silence greeted him back, the Gamer's skin paling even more as he felt the results of such a painful sensation that was being crushed.

_**-48HP!**_

_**HP: 652/700**_

"_A mongrel, a little bastard that shouldn't-"_

_**-52HP!**_

_**HP: 606/700**_

"_Be-!_"

_**-54HP!**_

_**HP: 552/700**_

"_ALLOWED-"_

_**-60HP!**_

_**HP: 492/700**_

"**TO**_**-**__"_

_**-100HP!**_

_**HP: 392/700**_

"**LIVE!**"

_**-300HP!**_

_**HP: 92/700**_

His lungs were painfully trying to grasp at any air now, his sight blurring as he the numbers of his HP started to appear unfocused and-

**~To think that you would end up hurting a child just for the unreachable glory you speak about...~**

That… voice. It sounded so much... familiar.

Unknown to Shirou, the feminine voice wasn't detected only by him, Jubstacheit's eyes widened once more as he felt his mind _warped elsewhere._

As the boy started to fall in unconsciousness, the Golem-Homunculus was pulled in the worst nightmare he could have ever imagined.

* * *

Acht blinked in shock as he found himself staring at the strangest anomaly he had ever seen.

Up in the sky was a… dark orb. A purplish hue exuding from it as from the deformed construct the very orb was floating up above a strange mud-like substance fell once or twice in a while.

The moment the liquid entered in contact with the ground, fire sparked brutally, hungry for destruction as it spread through the abandoned buildings of this unfamiliar city. Hollow shrieks of fear, of death, followed and drove the Golem to tense up at the dreadful sight he was experiencing.

But then he remembered that… he wasn't supposed to be there. The ancient Homunculus was once more back to his 'humane' form, something that helped him to disguise his true nature.

A feature that was innovative back when his creator was still alive and…

He stopped thinking the moment his eyes landed to an even more surreal sight.

Humming quietly, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern continued to carefully comfort the young boy- the same child he had tried to kill until now. She was sitting, kneeling as she let the unconscious brat rest on her lap.

Eyes open as he silently stared up in the dark-clouded sky, the young human looked close to truly perish.

**Good riddance. **The Homunculus thought darkly, expecting to be granted some explanation from the insane hallucination he was being subjected to.

"We messed up. The Holy Grail, the War and… the wrongly-used wishcraft." The soft tone that protruded from Justeaze's pale-pink lips caused him to pause in surprise at how… _similar to her _this representation was. Not only the appearance, but also the tone and emotion.

"But I'm mostly disappointed in your conduct, Jubstacheit. I'm _sickened_ by your lack of intellect when dealing with an important detail as creating _an entirely new class_ in an already-delicate system." Her harsh words were met with a light scowl. The elder could feel something _strange _from this individual, something familiar but changed… improved.

"Your words are empty, you foolish illusion." The old man remarked. "You speak of actions carefully planned, actions that would be approved by the real Justeaze, not some _ghost _that-"

"A ghost?" The interruption would have normally infuriated the man, the impudence of the fake woman forgotten the moment his mind registered the chilling tone coming from her. "I can't be a ghost _if I actually never died._"

"Your attempt to buy time for this filthy street rat is interesting. How do you plan to continue this? Do you wish to bore me with this pathetic imitation-"

"I still remember when you tried to steal some man's hat back when I first brought you to London for an important fair within Clock Tower. I remember chiding you severely for that act."

...What? That detail- that _embarrassing bit of his past-_

"W-Who are you, impostor?!"

His heartbeat increased, the woman's smile increased.

"My name is… Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, I've served as the third Einzbern Clan Head and offered a Regent in the form of Jubstacheit von Einzbern, my first successful attempt at developing a living hive in the form of a humanoid homunculus that could masterfully administer the family's affair while keeping peace with the other members."

Acht gawked at the extended claim, jaws trembling as his eyes locked onto _his creator_.

"B-But you- You are supposed to be-"

"Sealed within the Grail? Technically-speaking, this is still the current situation… to a certain degree." The woman explained calmly. "But the situation is far more advanced than I have taught you about before my… passing."

"M-My lady, you are… in this child's mind?" The elder tried to guess once more, and once more getting an understanding sigh.

"My presence is allowed by something I've _left within the child_." Justeaze replied quietly, eyelids going half-closed for a moment. "A special magecraft I had developed days before unleashing the first end of the Holy Grail War."

"It's a powerful tool, created as… a new ambitious project related to the betterment of mankind." She finally admitted, drawing a saddened sigh.

"B-But that was the role of the Homunculi, my lady." Acht pressed on, shocked beyond logic before this revelation. "It was by your own command that the Homunculi were to be considered the prime magecraft to improve the Clan's lifestyle."

"An incorrect statement from my part." The woman curtly replied. "I should have been a little less… arrogant about the instability of the programming, the harsh duties straining the mnemonic units available to the models..."

She stared down to the child and smiled. "When I joined the First Holy Grail War, I thought that I would have enjoyed the advantages of the riches and the advanced magecraft we were once renowned for and… I was proven wrong by someone I never managed to beat, something that could be considered my better even now."

"S-Someone better than you, my lady?" Acht looked like he had just heard something insane. "Who would be granted such an impressive title by you?"

"Why, I am referring to the curious man that I never got a chance to even understand… a little bit." She showed an annoyed scowl before sighing…_ dreamily_. "Tohsaka Nagato was… an interesting fellow. Easily underestimated by both Zolgen and me, the truest disciple of Zelretch that proved to always be… two steps beyond my plans."

Justeaze huffed. "A worthy opponent, his prodigious capacity in magecraft, his keen intelligence and… _his mysterious personality_." Her face was red much to the Golem's confusion and worry.

W-Was his lady getting sick? Did she need any help?

"But alas I shall be blunt and quick with my words regarding this new system," She moved some hair away from the boy's youthful face. "It's something that serves to 'trick' Gaia. Something that I would have wanted to give to Nagato himself but… sadly the War ended way too quickly and I was stuck with this system within the Grail… until the Fourth War came around."

"M-My lady, if you truly are within the Grail right now, then you can easily confirm that there was no damage inflicted upon the construct by the Einzbern Family-"

"You haven't seen around?" She interrupted in empty mirthfulness. "Have you seen the horror happening right now? The people dying, the city burning… this is the clear example of uncontrolled tainting, caused by something you should have long thought about before summoning Avenger."

"A-A weakling caused this? H-He was the one that cost us the-"

"He might be weak as a Servant, but his consciousness, the malicious mind created out from your desperate attempt to win this endless warring was more than enough to not only subvert my control over the Greater Grail, but also alter the rules in the whole process." There was a dry expression on her face, one that showed utter sorrow and irritation. "The worst part was that I was constantly belittled, mocked and annoyed by a sassy brat with some inner, world-hating issues between the third and fourth war."

"I-I didn't know that-" The elder tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing could come up and then… Justeaze gave him a serious look.

"And that's the reason why you are here, Acht. You didn't think this through and got us to a point where everyone has to regret something and… I think it's time to end this facade." She announced, her Heaven Feel dress glowing a little. "It's time to cease the unrequited attention to this family, I gave them the chance of becoming the greatest and they wasted it by wallowing with_ my_ riches and_ my_ achievements. Enough is enough."

"M-My lady, I can fix this-!"

"No, you can't." She interrupted coldly. "Now it's time for someone that lacks greed and egoism to bring forth my wish. A wish that I'm happy he would be willing to share if he embraces reality as it is."

Another plea, another beg- but Acht was cut short as-

_**-999999HP!**_

His life's system was deactivated by the sole responsible for the deactivation device except himself. The woman stared in silent remorse as her most trusted servant perished before her eyes, his mind extinguished just like his body was.

She glanced once more down and smiled guiltily at the unconscious Shirou Emiya.

"You are really going to be an interesting and risky investment." She slowly reached down and planted a kiss on his forehead. "But I trust you to make the right choices when the true darkness arise… my little Hero."

The mindscape broke like glass as the paralyzed consciousness was let out free from that unnatural condition, Justeaze vanishing like a cold breeze in mid-summer, a genuine smile echoing through the Gamer's mind, leaving a mark upon it.

_**For the world needed real peace and Shirou Emiya was her best candidate for the task.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Did you seriously crushed on Nagato?**

**He wasn't Zolgen. I guess it was how I felt relieved by much of my frustration when he was willing to share some words about his projects. Always hard-working and… I think it's Author Note time.**

**Oh- Oh! You are right!**

_**I AM BA-ACK!**_

**New schedule, the updated are now bi-weekly like with Crawl like a Worm and…**

**I bring to you some minor grammar improvement and chapter's length being not as disappointing as before.**

**Ended up deciding to give you a clear sight over the 'who' behind the Gamer and the 'why'. The 'how' will be finnicky to explain right now and thus I will give the explanation… when it will be really important for the plot.**

**Also, I felt some frustration from how I developed some fights and I bet this chapter will get some eye-rolls and head-scratching but the reason behind this 'boss' strange demise is actually fairly simple.**

**Shirou isn't strong enough. He is but just at the beginning of his adventure, he has to develop and improve from his mistake and, while I can do some minor 'Archer Helping', I think even a wounded Acht would be too much of a threat for him.**

**The aftermath of this large section of the Arc will be next chapter and… then there will be just a handful of chapters before the end of Arc 1! The Tutorial Arc is almost over and… then I will add some unexpected twists to the plot.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Ruberfreeforum: Justeaze nerfed him.**

**Rider126: Archer, using Tracing, altered some of the deactivated mnemonic units and altered some of the loyalty seals to switch to Shirou while giving a basic... depiction of the boy.**

**Sallyelley7: Speaking of DxD, I now have a daily-updated fanfic called Magical Trickster DxD (fair warning: there are some xovers and while I don't delve too much in those, some readers tend to get oddly confused.).**

**Killa: Didn't read it, but I will give it definitely a look!**

**Hey: Answer up above in the chapter!**

**WindbornesWord: There are special plans about UBW.**

**CoOLYO: I've seen some episodes and that's where Gray from this story comes from.**

**Samson: Normal enemies is 100, but Servants can go beyond 100.**

**Some Reviews were left unanswered and that is because I didn't want to inflate the AN too much. If you want, you can repropose the question and I will answer it next chapter!**


	20. Chariot (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Chariot (1)**

* * *

Amber eyes opened to gaze a bright blue sky.

Shirou blinked as he felt his entire body unwilling to move, only his head being active as he started to look around in mild panic. His recollection of the last moments when he was still awake weren't pleasant at all and… his breathing normalized once he was given proof that he was away from danger… in the form of Fou jumping onto his to give his cheek a little lick.

A small smile formed in his tired face, yet the calm was broken by the loud footsteps owned to the one and only Merlin.

The white-haired magician was ranting to himself, walking back and forth as he seemed to be stuck in his own thoughts. The boy couldn't recognize very little of the words leaving the man's mouths, the only few things jumping to his attention being 'that woman' and 'messing with the pace'.

The child blinked, trying to force himself to at least sit rather than lie down on the wet leaves and the small rocks littering the ground. He almost succeed on his first attempt, his body screeching to his mind that he was hurting himself doing so and… his willpower was quickly vanquished by the pain, pushing him back to his initial position.

Still, the effort caused some noise, just enough to have the mage stop with his loud musing and glance his way with an… annoyed scowl plastered on his face.

"Young Emiya, it's good to see you." His words were positive, yet the tone hardly fitted with these. "And before you ask, no I'm not angry at you. Just irritated that someone couldn't just keep her hands from meddling… on my meddling." He explained with a sigh, his features softened while his staff quietly hit the floor, blue-white energy coursing within his body and… making the fatigue go away.

The redhead stood up, staring in awe at the situation just for a few moments before returning to look at the magician. Merlin blinked back, a tiny smile finally appearing on his face.

"You see, Shirou, when you went to rescue your step-sister, you were supposed to fight the Golem with the support of the two Maids, something that I made sure to ask Archer to do something about before giving him to you." The man continued to speak, his fingers snapping as a strange white orb left Shirou's chest and disappeared in the mage's hand.

"I thought that I could have gotten something from having someone with his intelligence, experience and… interest around you would have been a good way to safely have you train, to prepare you for the future and… she had to mess things up with her nostalgia and attachment to that blasted construct." He huffed, turning around and staring at the nearby clearing, the sun illuminating the extensive piece of land filled with hills.

"W-Wait, you mean that Archer-"

"Can't work with you anymore." The magician interrupted a little snappish. "If he remained with you, the dangers that are going to happen very soon, _sooner than initially expected_, are going to be even worse to deal." He paused, glancing back. "I wanted him to be your teacher, but in this timeline… he would have been your detractor and your greatest enemy, someone that would have known how you move and act." He concluded with another tap from his staff, this time no magic happening.

"S-So the future has changed? You said-"

"That an infuriating woman decided to play around with what she can do right now. Your current state of unconsciousness being the first result of the **butterfly's effect**." The man paused again, noticing Shirou's utter confusion visible on his youthful face. "It means that by changing one of the events that was supposed to happen, other things will have to change in response of that. One of those things being that a few of your next issues will get harder to deal with and one will actually happen sooner than others."

"So… this lady_ did something_ that changed fate itself?" His mind was having a difficult time to grasp about the incredibly extensive subject the white-haired magician was alluding to.

"Something like that, yes. But she didn't do it because she wanted to change things, but rather she wanted to test _her freedom_ if I have to be honest with you." He replied with a sigh, violet eyes boring onto the child's face. "She will possibly avoid making first contact right now, especially with the whole shenanigans with the Golem- Also yes, the golem has been shut down by that _brat_ and her passion for family's matters." He finished, letting Shirou think about it by keeping quiet for some time.

"This woman- who is she? And family's matters?" His words betrayed the vast and intense confusion riddling his thoughts.

What had really happened? The golem was defeated but… what happened to Kiritsugu, Illya and the others? Were they all fine? Did they make it back to their temporary house?

"Someone that could be considered an ally of yours to a fair degree, but I wouldn't be cautious enough to say that she will meddle once more when her eyes will find something interesting enough to… meddle about." He replied with a mysterious tone. "But 'she' shouldn't be your interest right now. Once you are back to your hometown, things will turn ethic very quickly and… beware of the priest." Merlin warned, his voice mustering a completely new level of seriousness.

Shirou felt shivers go down his spine at it and… the boy blinked as he found himself staring at a completely different location.

No longer the Gamer was standing inside a quiet forest. A tall hill, he was on top of it and… in front of him was a sword stabbed in a rock. It's blue hilt and golden details going through its body bringing him a sense of… familiarity to the blade.

He took a step forward, shortening the distance as his eyes were allured by the metal-work, by the design and… by its ideal. His heartbeat started to pick up and… his orbs widened in silent glee at the sight before him.

It was so enticing, his hands twitching at the thought of even going to touch the delicate weapon and… he took another step forward.

Blink.

His eyes slowly turning away from the sword as he noticed someone standing right on the opposite side of the stone. The young woman had bright blond hair, her cerulean eyes reminding of the sky. She was standing a few inches above his height, yet she was young and quite familiar.

She looked just like gray but… stronger. Her body was tested by time and experience, her soul proudly wore on her very face. A smile gracefully enchanted the impressive sight, making him blush just a little.

She was wearing a simple white shirt with long sleeves that stretched just a little beyond her wrists, baggy blue pants that were interrupted by armored boots and she looked ready to… approach the sword herself.

Her smile widened at his frown and then… the young woman spoke.

"You seem to be lost, boy." Her tone hinted curiosity, kindness and… sadness. "Do you perhaps need some help?" She asked, dragging him out from his daydreaming much to his inner disappointment and outward embarrassment.

"I-I was talking to- I mean-"

"A foreigner? Your voice is… stressed." The girl paused and nodded. "I suppose you are here to try and take the challenge. A sword that is meant to… reveal the truest King." Her voice turned dreamy just for a moment, then the sadness washed over the wonderful expression. "Yet none had proven to be capable of mustering the burden."

She tilted her head, curiosity glinted in her blue eyes. "Do you wish to try it yourself? Do you think you can take the burden, boy?" There was something in that last question that resonated wrongly within his chest. It ached for a moment and he found it difficult to breath.

"W-What burden?" He blurted in the midst of this strange knot forming in his throat.

The girl smiled again. "Why, the burden of making people happy, to make them safe, to give them real hope and grant them their wish." She replied in a happy voice. "It's **justice**, it's the truest form of love one could have for the world as a whole." Her final smile was… terribly placed. It was just… so wrong.

Why did it felt so wrong?

"W-Why?" He could only say, his head hurting the more this interaction continued. "Why you-"

"Why do I want to put my life on the line? Why do I wish to bring joy to my people?" Her smile widened more and more. "I want to try and… fix things. To try and return rightful light to the darkness, to defeat the evil and… be a Hero."

Hero. The word was repeated so much, drilled in his skull and… yet its definition wasn't always the same, changing from person to person. Merlin, Kiritsugu, Taiga, Gray and… himself.

What was his own definition? It felt clear but… also unknown to his tongue.

"What is a hero?" Shirou asked again, this time the stuttering gone as his mind completely woke up from that stupor and… he needed to know now. He needed a hint, a clue and… the boy knew that learning the young woman's ideal hero was going to help him in this dilemma.

She blinked. "What is a hero?" The blonde asked again, humming as she found a nod as a response from the boy. "Well, I think it's… someone that takes up the greatest of pain, the greatest of hardships just for the sake of even a simple smile." She replied with a quick nod to emphasize her unique definition.

There was a brief pause, the Gamer's eyes widening as he contemplated her words and… he felt clarity pull him out from that gloom state, out of his diluted sense of perception of things.

He felt revived.

"A smile." He repeated with a curious look in his face. "That sounds… quite silly."

The girl huffed and frowned at him. "You said that you wanted to know what I thought about it, if you want to be an idiot then-"

"But I like it." He interrupted with a bright smile. "I can… feel it meaning so much more. A smile."

The blonde gawked for a moment at the sudden compliment but… still smiled at the words. "Truly? Then I suppose you don't have any reason to delay and try to-" She tried to say, only to be interrupted once more.

"No." Shirou stated with determination. "I don't need that sword. I… I think that I'm fine just with what I've." He finished with a tiny smile.

"Even though this sword is meant to protect the world? You would just… throw away the chance?" She asked with a surprise look plastered on her face. "Are you sure-"

"I think I will pass this time." He nodded again. "This sword… it could be the greatest thing in the world but… I don't think it should become a symbol. It should be the… user that brings change, not a… _stupid sword._"

A mirthful smile appeared on the girl's face and soon she started to laugh at what she just ended up hearing much to the boy's renewed confusion.

The laughter subsided a few moments later, yet the smile persisted even after that.

"T-This is the first time that I've heard such a blunt reason to not try to get Caliburn… but I guess you are correct, no one really needs some magical sword to be a hero to everyone. I just… had to use it, not to become a hero… but because the burden had to be taken by someone."

She took several more steps towards the Gamer and… she passed _through _the stone and the sword.

Both objects disappeared moment later and the entire place shifted once more. No longer the hill was fertile and green, the sky blue and devoid of clouds.

He was in a ravaged hill, swords stabbing the pained earth all around. The clouds were hiding the twilight of the sky, the end of a terrible day that saw the death of numerous men, fighting for two opposing armies.

Shirou's eyes widened as before him… was a completely different person.

She looked mostly the same appearance-wise, but her clothes were different, _her eyes looked different_.

Wearing a battle dress with armored pieces integrated to it, the blonde was smiling a hopeless smile while dragging her sword away from the battlefield and… towards him. She was bleeding, cuts and bloodied holes present on her body.

"T-This was the worst moment in what I could describe as… suffering. The realization that… I couldn't do it. That I didn't have it within my soul to… continue down this path..." The sword fell from her hands and… she fell on her knees, her head settling tiredly on the boy's shoulder, the redhead tensing at the sudden weakness.

He pushed, trying to keep her up but her armor was incredibly heavy.

"I remember wanting to cry… wanting to return to be a… simple 'lowborn' child enjoying the life around me- but I-I knew that I would have hated myself for not giving it a try." She coughed blood while chuckling. "F-For not… trying to make sure my p-people was safe from the v-villains ruining their lives."

There was silence, the wind carrying all around him in a deafening manner the weight of the battle, the blood that had been spilled for… nothing.

"S-Shirou." His eyes widened as she used his name. "D-Do you think I-I am a fool for… having tried?"

Her arms wrapped weakly around his body. "D-Do you think that-"

"B-Be quiet." He interrupted, the madness unfolding before his eyes being… so raw and detestable. He felt the hate, he felt the spite… all of it directed to the woman herself. Mocking words, ridiculous pretenses from opportunists and… the betrayal of family.

She was alone, wallowing in the darkness that was slowly consuming the entire battlefield. He should have been worried about this, maybe try to run away from it but…

He was stuck with the woman as she slowly let go of the last attachments to this ungrateful life.

The boy smiled sadly, feeling the same weight he would feel while fighting for someone, to save them. "Y-You meant well." He replied with a trembling tone, a tear or two forming in his eyes. "You… you wanted to bring hope to them and… you were burned by it. But to… to call this silly? Stupid? I think that would be wrong." He concluded, a sob drowned by a nervous gulp.

She chuckled another bloody cough, her hold tightening just a moment before faltering once. "Y-You are a-always there to bring me out from… this loop, aren't you Shirou?" The girl asked feverishly. "E-Even when you are so young and… afraid. Y-You make my p-penance lesser by… by proving me wrong with your actions."

A bright light started to coat the dying woman. "Y-You care for them. You- You would even c-challenge Gaia and Alaya, j-just to never back down from… your promises."

Her body glowed brightly as she moved away, just enough to show her crying expression, a trembling smile in her face as she started to vanish.

"**Thank you, hero.**"

A blinding light engulfed everything, forcing the boy to close his eyes and… feel everything change around him.

**His eyes snapped open** right in that exact instant, his heartbeat going crazy for a moment as he felt the emotional charge of that confusing scene making him hyperventilate.

His sight slowly softened as he realized that the ceiling he was staring at was the wooden one of the room inside the house he was supposed to stay with the others.

Mind quickly pushing away the scenes he had been witness of in his slumber, Shirou realized that he could turn around, the covers tightly stuck for some reason-

His eyes widened as his sight caught notice of two girls snoring by his sides.

Caren was tightly holding his left arm, while Illya was holding his right one. He blinked, blushing in embarrassment and surprise at the disposition but… soon his attention was taken away by a familiar, loud snoring happening a little further in the right side of the bed.

Gray looked to be having trouble sleeping on her chair, twitching once or twice in a while at the saw noises coming from the one and only Taiga Fujimura. The brunette seemed to be actually enjoying her nap.

The Gamer frowned in minor surprise at the young woman, surprised to see her managing to sleep so well in that visibly uncomfortable chair she was using.

Just as he tried to bring up the menu up to see how bad was his current state, he noticed that his surrogate older sister had started to stir and… soon she blinked awake.

At first, a lazy look was present on her face as she started to look around for any change in the room but… soon her eyes snapped fixed on Shirou's blinking orbs and… she froze.

Confusion bubbled in within the redhead as the girl started to vibrate and then… she jumped off from her chair.

"YOU ARE AWAKE!" Her voice boomed all over the house, the loud yell waking up everyone in the room and… soon the lone Emiya found himself dog-piled by the girls all at once.

There was no mercy and in that unexpected 'assault', the boy's mind could only think of a few words.

_This… This is not becoming a thing._

* * *

**AN**

**Sadly, it will become a thing, boyo!**

**Here is the update and I can tell you a little thing. While this is 500 words shy compared to the previous one, there will be an interlude that will be uploaded tomorrow! The character and the setting? It will not be Kiritsugu, but someone… that will show how many things are going to change very soon!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Herox100****: Miracle happens!**

**Ezequiel Kirishiki:**** Shinji had to have inherited something from him! XD**

**Rider126****: There will be something unique about Shirou's weapons. Something that will be… logical and innovative.**

**Cadelorbe12****: There isn't a mistake. Archer was referring that Illya was the result of 'Heroism' and that Shirou had to bride-carry her around.**

**Kamen rider****: You are talking about Arcueid? The Tsukihime/Melty Blood cast will appear in this story yes, but it will not be in the first two arcs of the plot.**

**Paxloria****: Next chapter (the one after the interlude for tomorrow) will have that answer. (I'm referring to the review in the chapter before this one.)**


	21. Interlude - Waver

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Interlude 2 – Waver**

* * *

Fuyuki was truly a strange city to live in after having lived for a long time in a quick-paced place like Clock Tower. The Japanese town was incredibly slow-paced, hardly giving him something to be worried about as he continued to think about what he should do now that the Holy Grail War was over.

The first days after the conflagration- _after Rider's death_ – Waver would be lying if he said that he didn't spend those shut in _his _room back at the Mackenzie's house. He had thought that he would have been able to truly uphold the promise he gave to his deceased Servant, that he would have lived his life to the fullest… but it was difficult.

Walking was difficult, talking was difficult, eating was difficult…

The silence was just unbearable.

He sighed, his tired eyes having been fixed for too long to the catchy sight sported by the TV installed in his room. The video-game that Iskandar had bought… it was the only thing that remained of him.

The mechanics of such device were complicated at first, a challenge somehow distracting but also… pleasing. The game was a way to escape the continuous suffering he had been subjected ever since the conclusion of the deadly competition.

It was a way to preserve his integrity before Glen and Martha, the two kind elders having been so understanding but also… lacking of the capacity to understand his inner struggle as he went along with his life.

Nothing was like back before he was wronged by Kayneth, his former teacher having been the spark that led to two different situations. The first being that now he had a focus, albeit a weak but slowly-growing one, and the latter was that he… lost someone important.

It was wrong, it was _odd_ that a Master would care for a Servant, a Heroic Spirit from the past, and yet Waver did. Terribly so.

The boisterous laughs, the giddy outlook over life and… the unconquerable sense of dominance over fate itself. It had been like a drug, a rush of emotions that had at first gotten him nervous, panicking as he was unsure of what to do.

Then the Magus learned that not everything was dictated by Magecraft. Life didn't need theories and mysteries, it needed selflessness and… selfishness. To be correct my making a mistake, to become wiser by being reckless.

Consequences? Those felt null to the glamour of having done something worthwhile and… Rider knew very well that it was the case for his Master.

The boy became man, the Magus became a human once more and… it was hurting him.

The process wasn't as painless as he had initially thought, accepting the fact that he was once more alone with his thoughts, once more without… a real family.

It was ironic how his mother had told him that… the life of a Magus was a terrible one. Slanderous words, his younger self thought after having been conditioned for so long by his grandmother's tales of power, wisdom and knowledge.

His maturity was rendered void the moment he decided to selfishly attach himself to a world that was painful and unforgiving. A world that forced him to push himself beyond what a normal mortal should be allowed to deal with and… it wasn't worth it.

Living with the Mackenzie changed that… to a certain degree. There wasn't a pressure to stand on par with his peers, there wasn't a need to hold against the prejudice lingering in Clock Tower… but there was nothing else but the game that helped him cope with the loss of his friend.

An orphan once more, he mused gloomily, something that stirred deep in his mind as he finished his quick trip to the grocery store.

Fitting in with the lifestyle of a non-magus young adult proved to be initially difficult for someone as sedentary as Waver… but soon he found it refreshing to deal with the materialistic dilemmas of his temporary life in Japan.

Pocket money from the kind grandparents wasn't going to cut well for him if he really wanted to travel around the world and… a job hunt ensued.

A proper job was impossible to find, especially since his papers from Clock Tower were hardly going to be recognized by normal institutions and the young man was forced to accept a rather simple post in a liquor bar sited in the central district of the city.

Copenhagen, a simple establishment owned by Isamu Hotaruzuka, was actually a place where he wasn't as stressed as he would while studying some arcane subject. He was supposed to clean when they closed up, help around by bringing a box or two of wine bottles when there was a lack from the one available at the counter and… avoid getting mauled by the owner himself.

The man was kind, respectful and genuinely a good man. The horrible thing that cursed Waver to endure his boss's mini-wrath was all because of… his daughter.

Otoko Hotaruzuka, better known to everyone as 'Neko', was a young student that frequented Homurahara Academy. The brunette was friendly, incredibly helpful and supportive when the young man was forced to deal with the first difficulties of the work and… very affectionate.

Unexpected hugs, strange stares from afar and a strong interest in asking him out once or twice in a while. The last bit was rendered impossible by her father, Isamu being 'kind' enough to remind Waver that this place was his only chance to get his needed money.

He wasn't displeased by the threat, he could leave without… the pressure of having to deal with a cute girl trying to get his attention. It was embarrassing and flattering, but he couldn't muster within himself the willingness of pursuing a serious relationship.

Otoko supposedly knew this but… she still persisted with her attempts. Nothing too overboard, there was a limit set by the brunette herself about keeping things 'normal' rather than descent in something a little too unpleasant for him to deal with.

Something that the young man was happy to know but that also put him in a rather tight spot with the girl. They were friends, she would narrate him the days spent at the local high school and… he would be intrigued by those.

He had known that Clock Tower was different from any non-magus school but… the fact that students weren't put in odd situations where important children were favored to the 'nobodies'? That teachers couldn't ridicule students without proper reasons and… that he wouldn't explode if he messed up something in his homework?

The more he was intrigued, the more he wanted to bash his head onto some wall. Seriously, Waver could have lived in 'luxury' if he hadn't been hell-bent in learning Magecraft and…

He blinked, his attention returning back to the mopping. His eyes frowned as he was suddenly brought back to reality without… a proper reason.

Otoko was talking again, her sight directed at the ceiling as she rested on one of the several vacant chairs of the establishment.

"-And Taiga even said that she was going to send me some photos… and she didn't even do that! It's been days and… ugh, that girl can be a dummy." She huffed in annoyance, her tale reviving part of her irritation at the fact one of her classmates had gone for a trip in Europe and would return in a few days from now.

"Your friend has to have… quite a lot of money to afford a trip of that kind." Waver commented, much to the girl's sudden surprise. She almost fell off the chair, eyes wide open as she stared at him as if he had grown a second head.

"So you finally take part of my glorious tales of Neko's daily life, Waver-kun?" The brunette looked awed, something that made the young man frown in discomfort. "Returning to your words. Taiga actually didn't pay for anything. It's a trip financed by her private English tutor." She facepalmed and groaned. "To think that hotheaded moron would be able to get someone as good as that man."

"I thought you were good in English." Waver pointed out, making the girl scoff back at him.

"I am, but I wouldn't mind excelling the subject." She threw her hands up. "To think that someone like Kiritsugu Emiya would have existed in a normal town like Fuyuki."

In that very moment, the foreigner's body tensed up in shock and_ dread_ at the name that he just heard.

Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, the Master of Saber and… the winner of the War since he survived.

It was odd to believe that… he was still Fuyuki- or rather, he was there before going for this trip in Europe.

Could it be a mission? Or maybe it had to do with… the Einzbern.

He knew about the isolated family from the research he had made back in Clock Tower before leaving for the War. A prideful clan which only peculiar member was the former leader, Justeaze, the woman responsible, with the presence of Nagato Tohsaka and Zolgen Makiri, of creating the Holy Grail.

The pale-haired woman, that strangely… humane- and motherly-looking lady had been an Homunculus.

It wasn't a secret to the world that the Einzbern weren't true living beings anymore, having ditched 'mortality' for a form of… resistance to death. Something that was frowned up back in London, but none of the members in the hierarchy would ever discuss it further than how one would address a rumor or gossip.

The family might be… weird, but they were powerful, influential and… terribly rich.

The other two 'founding' families weren't as different in status like the German clan, with the Makiri existing only in the Japanese branch, the Matou, while the Tohsaka had been crippled by the war.

Tokiomi Tohsaka had been a serious competitor that had ended up being killed by someone, Waver was partly suspecting it had been Archer. The Servant was too prideful, it wouldn't have surprised him too much if Gilgamesh had decided to cut loose ends and just return to the Throne as… his Master was an inept.

Waver knew a little of the mundane world, something that gave him a small advantage back in the Holy Grail War against both Tokiomi and Kayneth as both respectfully strong and powerful Magus were easily beaten by the modern cruelty displayed by the Magus Killer.

Turning his attention back to Kiritsugu Emiya, the young man felt his stomach turning at the mere idea that the murderer was still around and… possibly working. But then again, why bothering bringing a simple girl with him? Sure, he was her tutor but-

"-It's also a pity that Taiga decided to never send me a picture Shirou-kun! I wonder if he looks like his Papa… nah, I bet he would be cuter than-"

...What?

What the actual fuck?

Kiritsugu Emiya, Magus Killer, the man that single-handedly screwed the competition for everyone… was a father.

…

The news sunk quickly in Waver's mind, bringing new alternatives to the present ones while forcing him to erase some of the old ones.

What if… no. Maybe he shouldn't even consider it but…

What if he tried to… _approach the Magus Killer_?

Phrased like that, it did sound like the worst idea possible but… what if he ended up encountering him around and… he decided to clean up the 'remains of his former job'?

Nope, not taking that damn risk.

He sighed to himself, noticing a little late the giggle coming from Otoko as she was pointing her index at his feet… or rather at the darkening spot near his shoes. The mop, he thought dryly.

He had done the exact same thing back when he started to work here, the wet and drenched mop ending up to completely stain the lower section of his pants and… forcing him to take a tighter pair for the following day. Of course, the girl approved of this choice by how amused her giggles were back then.

And if he had to be honest, he was sure she was going to overly-enjoy his peculiar set of pants… again.

_**What a dreadful way to end my shift...**_

* * *

**AN**

**If I can bring Taiga, then why not Otoko. Neko-senpai is here!**

**Also, Happy Thanksgiving Day!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!  
**

**Guest (Chariot 1)****: Luviagelita Edelfelt wants to know your location.**

**Kamen rider****: Difficult question, I actually dunno rn.**


	22. Chariot (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Chariot (2)**

* * *

If there was something that Shirou was finding rather nerve-wracking, it was how Kiritsugu was purposely avoiding to make even the simplest of interactions with him.

Having awaken from his slumber and dealt with the sudden dog-pile attack from the girls, the red-haired boy had turned his attention to some quick questions that had sparked from his still-sleepy mind.

If Illya was here with the others, were Leysritt and Sella in the house too?

The answer was given by the arrival of the two maids, now wearing more casual clothes, after the 'cuddle session' had been interrupted. The short-haired woman had a simple dark-red jacket and tight jeans on herself, while her 'sister' was donning a brown blouse and a lighter-brown long skirt.

They had rushed to the bed, but instead of following the girls' past 'attempt at his life', they decided to merely club him with numerous concerned questions about his current state. It was mostly Sella that went with the precise inquiries, 'Liz' preferring to keep her own queries relatively generic but about the more important issues regarding his situation.

The second inquiry being how much time had passed since he was awake and that was a reply offered by the dutiful 'servants'. Almost a full day spent resting from what had happened at the castle, Kiritsugu requiring them all to be safe and stable enough to take the flight.

It was only after having survived the hounding of the all-female group that the young Emiya remembered that there was also someone else to think about.

Kiritsugu had looked calm, far too calm, as he prepared some coffee for himself. Shirou had reached the small kitchen to see him during the process, staying silent as he expected the man to finally spurn in action the moment he saw the child entering in the room and…

He merely stared at him.

Silent, surprised even, but not giving much of a mere nod to greet him a 'good morning'. The redhead was quick to notice that he was now sporting some bandages as visible from his now open dark-gray shirt.

That encounter was incredibly brief as the room was soon invaded by the rest of the group and… food was prepared for the hungry girls thanks to the two maids' (Sella's) efforts.

Breakfast proceeded as loudly as expected, the girls being swift to shift their attention to try and explain how things had gone during his unconsciousness, Taiga being the most vocal of the cadre as she narrated the story in quick Japanese.

After he had fainted mid-fight, Kiritsugu had managed to get him and Illya, with the aid of the two remaining maids, out of the Einzbern Castle. The moment the Golem had died, the entire hive-mind system that controlled the majority of the Einzbern's homunculi had followed it to the afterlife.

They had all fallen to the ground like string-less puppets, going still as their 'life' vanished from their husks. Sella and Leysritt being swift to reach for the unharmed Illya and the two injured Emiyas, helping them to walk to where the mercenary had left his car.

The route to reach the car had been a slow but hasty one as both him and his adoptive father required medical assistance the quickest possible.

Once they had all arrived to the vehicle, the older Emiya had managed to drive back to the house where the others still were, the three girls having been panicking for the 'missing' Shirou for hours at that point.

In that exact moment, the boy was subjected to receive a single slap from the 'worried ladies' and soon his poor right cheek was turned a pained bright red at the strength of this 'reward' for worrying them so much.

Taking a crescendo of damage, from a -2HP from Caren, to a -3HP from Gray's _meek_ one, and an aching -5HP from an irritated **Tiger**'s retribution.

With the dark-haired man close to fall unconscious himself as the wounds had left him far too weakened to get him to stay conscious enough to patch himself up, it was Sella herself that decided to carry him to the house and ask for assistance in Japanese.

Since Taiga was the only one speaking and understanding the language, she was the one that rushed to help and assist the application of the bandages and medicines for both father and son.

Having a basic training as a nurse, something that her grandfather had demanded from her to conclude before completing her fourth year at Homurahara, the brunette knew what she was doing and the patching-up process was actually incredibly well done from the way maids praised her.

The girl basked in a little bit of glory, smiling eye to eye at the fact she was the one that did 'the most' in those moments, much to the chagrin and silent fury from the rest of the females.

Yet the Gamer's concerns lied within a singular problem.

The girls now knew about Magecraft by the mere fact that the Fujimura was showing no hesitation in describing the castle and they seemed fairly knowing of what was going on in the backstage of the events there.

Wasn't it a bad thing if other people knew about this secret?

But if Kiritsugu didn't show any issue with it… was it truly bad?

As a 'Magus', Shirou had much to learn about the world but the boy knew one thing for sure. There had to be a reason as of why the Association didn't want other people to reveal their 'tricks' to the world.

...Still, the man was fine with it so… maybe he could too?

The attention then shifted to the fact regarding Illya's integration to the group, something that Shirou noticed had been terribly quick. Not only had the white-haired, red-eyed girl picked up quickly some of the Japanese words from Taiga, the little Einzbern had also decided to address him with a strange and somewhat incorrect honorific.

"Oniichan."

And while her pronunciation was correct, there was still… her accent. It gave a soft but edged corner to the word in particular, something that incredibly left him speechless every time he heard say that.

Of course, his reaction to this didn't pass unnoticed to the rest of the bunch and soon Gray and Caren tried to give 'pursuit' over the matter, with the English-girl having still some issues about his first name while calling him 'Shirou-san' and the Italian child calling him 'Shiro-kun'.

The conversation expanded from that to the most important of issues, being 'when' they were supposed to return back to Fuyuki.

"Soon." Kiritsugu replied curtly and giving little else to the discussion as Taiga once more took the lead. With Leysritt, Sella and Illya now joining the group, the older Emiya had to go and order three new tickets for the flight they were supposed to take and the delay was by just a single day, that day.

And so by tomorrow they would be out of Germany and on the path to be back to his… hometown.

With the first meal of the day finished and the four girls rushing for the bathroom (Leysritt and Sella aiding little Illya and Caren in the 'competition'), Shirou found himself in the room alone with Kiritsugu.

The mercenary was aware of this too, but instead of displaying this with some change in his calm demeanor, he just remained quiet, waiting for something to happen.

The silence was quite unnerving, the redhead having trouble to actually stare at the man as he felt that _something was truly going to happen_. Something that he wasn't going to like since by now it wasn't impossible for his secret to be put in jeopardy by the suspicions of his guardian.

Kiritsugu stood up and stared at the table for a moment, then his eyes shifted back to the boy.

"Shirou." His voice was clear, but lacking any semblance of emotions to it. "How are you feeling?

The question seemed weightless, void of any warmth that should usually be accustomed to the 'concerned' query.

Still, the Gamer nodded slowly. "I'm fine. Just a little sore." His reply was curt, his tone rather tight at the unknown predicament. There was little he could do right now to avoid this talk now and… he braced for the real question to happen.

…

The dark-haired adult sighed as he stared away from the child and to the sink filled with plates that had yet to be cleaned. Sella had planned to go through those once she was done with helping with Liz the two younger girls but… soon Shirou was once more under Kiritsugu's stare.

"The Einzbern clan is one of the oldest families in the Moonlit World." He said, index tapping at the table as he let himself fall back on his chair. "Influential, powerful… but also obscure." The mercenary stopped the tapping as he noticed Shirou's staring at his fingers' activity.

"Do you know why I'm telling you this, Shirou?" Kiritsugu asked quietly. "Or do you also know this already?"

There was more silence, seconds of quiet passed and the Gamer felt incredibly terrified by what was going on. His attention was fixed on his adoptive father's actions, keen to keep up his guard for any dangerous stance from him.

Yet until now he had done nothing worthy of any powerful reactions. He felt caged, confused and scared of what the next move would be.

"You managed to somehow gain Gray's trust and bring her to yourself,_ away from the small village where she lived_."

Shirou tensed at the pressure but the man wasn't done with his little talk.

"It didn't take me much to gain some little info from Add, the spirit of Sir Kay himself. Just a few strokes at his ego and he blurted out what I needed to paint the whole situation that got the girl to join us."

There was a pause, the tapping resumed and this time the boy's eyes followed the action instantly, as if expecting something out of it. Yet nothing happened and his mind strained even more.

The tapping stopped.

"Then you, for some unexplained reason, decided to follow me as I went to free my daughter and-" He sighed heavily and nodded. "I'm grateful that you were here. I wasn't prepared enough to deal with Acht… but while I can be such, I'm also_ intrigued_ by the fact you knew where you were and what you were doing."

...

"I-" Shirou tried to speak, but the main lifted his index up and stopped him.

"No," Kiritsugu interrupted quietly. "I think you have secrets, Shirou. Big secrets." As he finished speaking, he pulled up from his coat's pocket a small piece of paper. A strange seal drawn into it.

He blinked, **Observe **instantly giving him some clarity over the mysterious document on the table and he frowned.

**[Object: Self-Geis Scroll]**

**Powerful curse engraved in a piece of paper. A binding contract used by the Magus Association to have absolute commitments regarding high-level secrets kept by major officials of the organization. Once the Caster signs its name upon it and thus accept the demands imposed by the paper, they will have their Magical Crest bound by the curse. If the Caster commit to break even one of the points imposed, the User's Magical Crest will cease to function and cause the death of the Caster.**

**-Warning, Insufficient Requirements: [Magic Crest]**

Shirou paled at what he had just read and he felt terribly nervous about what Kiritsugu was trying to suggest- no, _force him to do_. He gulped nervously as he finally noticed the last detail about it, the saving grace from this horrifying situation.

"I-I can't." The boy finally spoke, his lips trembling just a little as he was still recovering from the nerve-wracking predicament that had concluded moments ago and the lecture of the object the man was trying to have him to sign.

The adult lifted a confused eyebrow, the first time he showed any emotion since he had started to speak. "What do you mean, Shirou?" His voice trailed the confusion, but he managed to keep it smooth enough to render it clear for the boy.

"I… I don't have a Magic Crest." He admitted with genuine honesty. "It wouldn't… work."

…

"You can use Magecraft, Shirou." Kiritsugu seemed to be chiding him with his calm tone, pressing on him to say otherwise rather than… lie? "If you can use Magecraft, then you have a Magic Crest."

The redhead frowned at the table and… blinked in confusion. "But I- I don't-"

"How about we prove this already? Please reveal your arm." He demanded strongly, pointing at the boy's left arm. He stood up and walked by the side of the scared Gamer as he took the limb, turning it slightly around and carefully enough to not hurt while moving out of the way the sleeve masking the skin.

Shirou blinked in surprise as his Circuits flared as Kiritsugu's fingers touched his arm. Bright-blue lines stretched visibly on his arm, some ending by his fingertips only to curve and return back… to the origin of the Prana.

His Magical Core was… warming up too and in mere moments the glowing sight spread right to his chest. The man blinked, his eyes widening just a fraction as he followed the lines right to the brighter spot hindered by his shirt and bandages.

The Emiya paused, his eyes fixed on the area but… then he let go of Shirou's arm and walked back to his seat.

The tension seemed to disappear moments later as Kiritsugu went to pick one of his smokes to lit it up.

The Gamer blinked in utter confusion. "T-That's it?"

The man shrugged as he adjusted his lit smoke.

"Yep." He replied without hesitation.

"A-And what about-"

"It can't work on a target without Magic Crest." The mercenary admitted with a sigh. "I don't have anything on me that can actually work with _that_." He pointed at the boy's chest, suggesting at the Core.

"So that's it? You don't plan to… ask for more?"

"Are you going to tell me anyway if I asked?" The man inquired, only to have silence back from Shirou. "Yep, that is why I'm not asking."

"B-But you made it clear that you thought me a danger!"

_Now this was ridiculous, why stopping now! _

He had been this close to crack and he just… _**let it go like this?!**_

"But what about-" He tried to speak but-

"Nope." Kiritsugu interjected lazily. "I'm not interested."

"But what about the-"

"No."

"But-"

"I was thinking about buying some-"

"Okay, why?!" Shirou finally slammed his fists on the table, his face sporting the angriest scowl the boy had ever shown to anyone. "Why putting me in that situation of all things if you are not interested in-"

"Oniichan?"

Shirou froze as he recognize the voice calling him and he slowly turned to see Illya… and Taiga. And the rest of the girls and the maids.

He felt embarrassment rising, his blush persisting but now without the previous anger it had fueled it to stay.

The Gamer blinked and he sat down on his chair, glaring at Kiritsugu. "You knew." He said with a tight tone.

The adoptive parent didn't reply to that accusation, merely looking away as his lips twitched upward just for a moment.

"Otouto." Taiga was now bending, bringing her face dangerously close to his. "What were you saying to Kiritsugu? Something about us perhaps?"

The suggestion was lost to the boy, a frown now adorning his face. "What?"

"You know," The brunette continued with an _odd tone_. "Something about us girls. Maybe something important, _very _important."

...What?

His immense confusion was broken the moment he felt a weight settle on his lap, Illya kneeling on his legs as she gave him a close hug. "Oniichan mine!" The girl exclaimed loudly, pouting at Taiga.

The rest of the girls soon approached him too and something similar to a tug of war began with him being the center of the attention. He was being pulled, yanked, hugged, cuddled and snuggled in that insane mess of people.

_**N-Not again!**_

But just as he succumbed at the play of the four girls, Kiritsugu stared at the scene blankly.

Shirou had been correct, he had been very close to have him reveal what truly was 'wrong' with him. There was just so much to ask and little he knew that would be answered at the moment, the boy having showed as much mystery as much genuine interest in protecting the people he considered friends and family.

Confusing, worrying and quite perplexing. It was interesting to see how someone could garner so much attention… despite the young age.

The Emiya mused darkly over the presence of a 'Magical Core' of all things, something that truly denied him the chance of making use of something to further limit the possibilities for the child to show even the least worrying development towards Illya or any of the other girls.

They were all important, both for strategical purposes but also an emotional connection. Caren was just like Illya to a certain degree, while Gray was just a girl with Artoria's appearance and a powerful instrument sealed behind some highly-restricting rules.

Part of him still wanted the answers, yet his mind was weighed by the words Add had given to him before he left the caged object to his usual whining.

"_**You seek the logical answer to things, but sometime the real solution to questions lies in the world around us. You have already met one of the possibilities, Shirou now represents a clean slate, a chance of truly bringing hope to the world. He is an odd kid, very shy and reserved, but so was **__**she**__** before turning in the greatest Knight of them all. Don't try to question it, it will still happen."**_

So unnerving and incomprehensible, there was no clue in that cipher, the only thing he could think up being Artoria herself at the mere mentioning of a female 'Knight'.

But why would Saber be connected to Shirou? Avalon?

There was just so much left to the unknown and… **only time will tell if this 'hope' will be good or bad.**

* * *

**AN**

**Wanna hear a funny story? Kiritsugu learned about the true potential of peer pressure by… none other than Irisviel herself. How? Ice cream might be involved.**

**Also, quick and terribly shameless plug for Magical Trickster DXD. Why? Well, I'm going through some of the chapters and doing some polishing, expansion and improvement of those. I think I will do something like that for this story when I begin my week-long 'holiday' from updating.**

**Yes, I have decided to spend a full-week (from 23 to 30) to either rest, clean some of the chapters I had to 'clean' and maybe do some random stuff. **

**I wanted to do some One-shots, some fun bits I have planned out. All his a secret and… I have an account with the Co-fi but with the K. I think it will be easier for people wishing to donate to actually do it in a system that doesn't drain accounts monthly. I think single-time donations are for the best… are they?**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**MeleeSmasher****: It is actually stated in Canon that Waver spent some months in Fuyuki after the HGW before going around the world. It is something that has been added by Lord El-Melloi II lore.**

**Deltadragon373****: Yes, but now anytime soon. I've still to work around the kinks of developing four girls (plus Rin and Sakura coming soon) and I don't want to mess things up.**

**EVA-Saiyajin****: I know. I've both FSN and FHA VNs done and completed months ago. **

**Guest****: Yup, I've plans to rework some scenes during the week of rest, also Taiga's issue has been solved.**

**Michael C Grigori****: Clarissa came early for some tea. She was such a lovely ghost girl! XD**


	23. Chariot (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Chariot (3)**

* * *

Birds were chirping eagerly and a calm breeze was in the cool air as it filled the urban scenery when Shirou Emiya first left the car Kiritsugu had rented in Tokyo, his attention directed at the familiar sight of home's entrance gates.

He took a small intake of air, eyes wide open and brightly glowing as a smile was perched on his face revealed his genuinely happy mood.

His reaction could easily be confused as mere nostalgia, but the fact that he was back in Fuyuki meant that… things were going to be safer now.

Or at least that was ignoring the threat created by that priest, Kirei Kotomine, and what was going on with the dangerous construct known as the 'Holy Grail'.

Still, the reason behind is relief was that now he was back to his home, a little haven from the issues that had plighted him in what had initially been planned as a simple trip around Europe.

The girls were quick to disembark too, everyone was there except for Taiga. The brunette had been left back to her grandfather's compound because Raiga had requested her to return there.

Pouting and sporting an annoyed grimace, the Fujimura was quick to rush within the set of buildings after waving at the retreating car driven by the older Emiya.

The girl promised that she would then visit a little later, once she was done 'defusing' the absurd mess of used clothes and magazines contained within her baggage.

A feat that was sure going to take her some time since the redhead had taken just a glance at the problem itself and knew of the full extent of such task, which would even take possibly hours to accomplish and by that time it would have been dinner time, thus denying the brunette any chance of coming to visit.

That is if one considered the Tiger of Fuyuki a normal human being to waste that much time on the difficult deed, surely pulling some impressive feat by safely getting this situation… even worse for herself once she had to return once again home.

And while this amusing situation unfolded and he joined the collective effort of pulling the bags and the rest of the luggage off from the car's trunk while Kiritsugu prepared to properly park the vehicle for the time being.

The man was oddly quiet, even quieter than the day before and Shirou wouldn't be lying in saying that he was more than unnerved by the former mercenary's attitude.

The flight that took them to Tokyo was equally silent and uneventful, with the Gamer deciding to check upon his stats after what had happened back in the Castle.

He had to wait for the entire entourage to fall asleep, with Illya being the one sitting on the seat beside his and falling asleep with a hand squeezing at one of his.

The girl had been quite nervous of experiencing flying for the first time and, while Kiritsugu had more that happily offered to be there for him, the man was denied as his daughter decided to 'stay by her little prince'.

Ignoring the brief but incredibly murderous glance appearing on his step-father's face, an expression that promised a slow and painful death for depriving him of the long-wanted father-daughter moment with Illya, the minutes prior the take off were spent getting the Einzbern to calm down over the noises coming from the large plane.

Her uneasiness was then vaporized when the flight began and the noises lessened to a comfortable pitch. The girl had been surprised at the sudden development, but soon her surprise became calm when she was told it was the plane finally going in the air.

She glimpsed from her little window, her short stature offering just a limited look through the glass and her red eyes had widened in awe at what she was looking at.

Moments passed and her awe increased at the presence of fluffy clouds passing by the plane, mesmerizing the child for several minutes… until the first yawn came by.

Tiredness was acceptable as sleep was preferable considering the long flight before them. The girls stayed awake for some time but then, one by one they all went to catch some 'little naps' to keep up their strengths.

Being afar from where Kiritsugu was sitting, the redhead was finally offered his chance to finally check on his Stat Menu and… he was shocked of the resulting noise coming from some boxes.

The boy could still remember when he heard the unusual bell sound that had popped out after he had thought of the command, drawing numerous windows at once and giving him quite the surprise and shock.

_**DING! 'Grand Quest: Tutorial Arc' has been bypassed!**_

_**DING! 'Quest: The Lost Girl' has been completed!**_

**Rewards:**  
**-25000 Yen;**  
**\- New Routes Opened: Caren, Taiga, Gray, Illya Routes unlocked;**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Kiritsugu Emiya (Step-son);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Taiga Fujimura (Surrogate Otouto);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Gray Pendragon (Little, Noble Guardian);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Caren Hortensia (Childhood Friend);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Illyasviel with Einzbern (Step-brother);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Leysritt von Einzbern (Young Master and Friend);**  
**\- Improved Closeness with Sella von Einzbern (Young Master);**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 15 – Exp: 56,78%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 750/750**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1500/1500 (60 MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 32**  
**INT: 30**  
**AGI: 36**  
**WIS: 30**  
**VIT: 37**  
**CHA: 25**  
**LUK: 26**

**Skills**

**Gamer Body (LVL Max.) - Congratulations, your body had been turned into one influenced by the rules of the Game Module. This Skill is present in all Users from the very beginning.**

**Unbreakable Willpower (LVL Max.) - The hardships of your life had been making you stronger than the average human being. Risk of Possession and Mind Control are reduced by the 75%.**

**Noble Soul (LVL Max.) - Having experienced the worst trauma, you know the pain and sufferings of others. Your Soul is brave and determined enough to let you become whatever you wish.**

**Charged Attack (LVL. 8/10) - Deliver a powerful strike against your opponent! The ATK is determined by STR*5! (Cost: 40MP)**

**Fake Concept of the First Magic (Sword 1 of 4) - The ability to recreate from nothing but the mere memory a Sword-Type blade, your Origin and Element aid you to the task of perfectly copying the essence of the object. Creation cost is 40MP for each blade, 4MP/s the maintaining cost. (Currently limited to non-legendary objects.)**

**Traits**

**Natural Prodigy (Cooking) - You are incredibly proficient in cooking, it is in your blood. Food prepared by your hands receive a 25% Boost to their HP recovery rate.**

**Sword Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of swordmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Sword-Type weapon.**

**Bow Proficiency (Rookie) - You have grasped the basic notions of Bowmanship and can use it in a fight. Your stats receive a 15% Boost when using a Bow-Type weapon.**

Things have… improved a lot since he had left Fuyuki.

With the presence of some Quests, the fight at the Castle and the temporary stay of Archer, he gained more power and experience over the world around him.

He was more aware of the dangers, the means to counter them and… the growing need to continue down this road for the sake of protecting others.

While before he had but just a brief understanding of the threats he would have to eventually deal with, Kotomine being far tamer compared to anything he had seen until now, his perception of things was more methodical, more… cynical.

Shirou wouldn't go as far as to consider himself emotionless, far from it.

It was just the way he would 'greet' beings and objects around him that was different, from trustful to uncertain and careful.

His paranoia was evident, but so was his sense of control over it from not going overboard.

With Merlin's words still ringing in his ears and with the terribly-confusing aftermath of his 'fight' against the Golem, the young Emiya was brought before the fact that superior powers were indeed involved with whatever was going on.

Something was changing from the past easygoing pace of life, gone was the calm before the approaching storm and…

The boy was unsure how to react to it all and that left him at unease over everything.

He was cautious enough to not show any of this restlessness, taking the happy moments with the brightest of reactions and-

"Shirou," Kiritsugu spoke quietly as he walked inside the front door.

The child's eyes blinked twice, his mind returning right at the task at hand and… he had just finished to drop one of the bags back to the living room.

A little humming developing from his throat as he continued with the mechanic work of bringing out bags and settling them by the living room, only for the two former Einzbern maids to come and help the girls to set those in the respective rooms prepared for the new inhabitants of the Emiya household.

The dark-haired man closed the door behind him and nodded. "We need to talk."

Eyes widening and body tensing, Shirou had then expected a Round Two of what had happened during their last day in Germany but, surprisingly enough, the adult merely took a seat by the table and gestured the child to follow his example.

The redhead complied at the request, uneasiness replaced by confusion as there was none of the strange cold stares the man had shown in that ugly situation.

Instead of being the subject of that conversation, the boy ended up discovering that the topic was still important and essential to discuss.

It was natural for Kiritsugu to ask now that the girls were busy with preparing their new rooms, offering them the time to speak about future plans about their mutual target.

"Kirei Kotomine, you have seen him," He pointed out, giving color to what was going to be the main theme of the conversation. "The priest, what do you think of him?"

The question was simple but the boy could see the not-so subtle implication about it.

_How much dangerous is he?_

"He is very calm," Shirou admitted with a slow pace. "But…"

He paused, what was he supposed to tell the man? That he knew that Kotomine was dangerous and to avoid at all costs?

"But?" The older Emiya pressed him to continue.

"I think he is… hiding something," The boy replied cautiously. "He seems to behave_ strangely_ around Aoi-san."

"Aoi Tohsaka?" The man asked quickly, before shaking his head. "The woman still lives? What about her daughter?"

He knew about Rin? How much did Kiritsugu knew about the Tohsaka family and why would-

The Holy Grail War.

The connection was slowly forming up, the conflict taking place in Fuyuki and the last event had taken place several weeks ago… right by the time Rin's father had died and her mother had become like that.

Kiritsugu had been part of the competition as the Einzbern Master and… then things turned blurry.

The Gamer wasn't fully documented over what had happened in the days during the War, but he was sure that by seeing the dark-haired man's face steeling at the mere mentioning of Kirei Kotomine, the priest wasn't supposed to be alive after what had happened.

A multitude of theories drowned down on his mind but without any major hints the young Emiya couldn't certainly draw any certainty over this shady situation.

Soon the discussion resumed, with Kiritsugu questioning Shirou about the details he knew of the still-alive Kotomine. Nothing worrying at first as the adult was keeping things low-toned as to not gain the attention of anyone still busy with the rooms-preparation.

Then the bomb was dropped and… the boy was unprepared for what his ears were to be subjected.

"Shirou, I wish you do something for me, something about your… friend," The man began with a simple tone, catching the redhead's attention with the sudden request. "Next time you see Rin, I wish that you offer her to spend some time at hour home. And you may also extend an invitation to dinner and for a sleepover too."

It seemed quite normal from a simple point of view, but knowing how complicated Kiritsugu was, Shirou slowly realized what was going on and-

**-One life for Another-**

**Time Limit: Unlimited**

**Kirei Kotomine is too dangerous to be left alive. Still, you aren't ready to face someone as dangerous and powerful as the priest and… sometimes sacrifices are a must.**

**Reward**

**-Rin is Saved-**

**-Title: Hero of Justice-**

**-Aoi's Route is Permanently Closed-**

**-50.000 EXP-**

**Failure or Refused**

**-Your Fate is Sealed-**

**Accept?**

**Y/N**

_What? N-No! This can't be it!_

The boy's face flashed a worried look, his mind picking the smiling face of the green-haired lady, the one that was the one suffering the most and, if he had to assume from Kiritsugu's subtlety and the new quest info…

He couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it!

Without hesitation, the Gamer refused the Quest, setting himself a limit for himself.

The Game was powerful and it was indeed offering him the chance of growing to become a true hero but…

What kind of Hero would just sacrifice someone so easily?

He then remembered the words of the curious blonde back in that dream, the one that accepted the hardships of her path to become a hero and paid heavy consequences.

Would he suffer too? Of course, he almost facepalmed at the uncertainty and he came to a solid realization from the look present in Kiritsugu's face.

While Shirou was unwilling to sacrifice the frail life of Aoi Tohsaka…

_**Kiritsugu Emiya wasn't going to take chances with Kirei Kotomine, even if it meant orphaning someone close to his step-son.**_

* * *

**Meanwhile, near to where the Emiya Household is…**

From the dim-light coming from his old but trusty lamp, another boy sighed as he continued with his homework in partial silence.

Tiredness was evident in his face and his glasses were starting to drop low by his nose as the child continued with the most draining task possible.

The papers in his desk weren't something related to school, that kind of preparation homework had been dealt with mere hours earlier.

No, his attention was drawn by the peculiar lecture that his father had left him to finish, a follow-up to the previous tome he had been supplied for his secondary studies over the arts of his family.

The book was old, written by one of the earliest ancestors and founders of the family he was part of, a parting gift to his children before he ventured through Death.

English letters were forming somewhat familiar words, some being still used in the current disposition of the language while a minority being fairly archaic and difficult to understand without some dictionary of Old English.

His father had been kind enough to also give this to him with the tome, instructing him to continue with a pace that best suited with his age and didn't hinder on his pursue of happiness.

Strange words considering the primary role of their family, this attitude being rather… odd compared to the other groups he had known of from Britain.

Yet the boy couldn't just spend time mindlessly think about the past, his present being far too important and demanding to be pushed aside for some remembrance.

With his siblings either napping or playing around the living room, the dark-haired youth was left to conclude another session of careful translations and analysis of the spellcraft described by the papers.

As the only male child of the Ainsworth Family, Julian wasn't truly forced to follow some of the strict rules imposed by the London-based society, he wasn't even the official heir to the house.

That role was well-taken by the eldest of the children sired by Zachary and Artemisia Ainsworth, Angelica Ainsworth.

He sighed at the mere mentioning of his older sibling, considering the fact that she wasn't currently in Japan like their father had wanted.

Deciding to spend some time in France to compete in some regional fencing spars, the blonde had preferred to keep staying there for the time being with their mother, Artemisia being more than supportive of the ambitions of her daughter.

Still, the temporary separation had left quite the disgruntled bunch around to bemoan the situation, Beatrice being the one having taken the worst out of that unexpected decision.

The adopted girl had been more close to Angelica rather than with Julian, the reasoning being that the first few days within the family were spent under the care and lead of the blonde.

The redhead was attached to the boy too, but between the two oldest children the always-smiling girl would pick Angelica.

Erika was influenced too but her mood was mostly stabilized by the fact her big brother was still play around to her heart's content.

The energetic rambunctious child was fiercely attached to Julian, testament of such connection being how the little girl had openly refused going to France with her mother and big sister.

The surprising choice gave relief to Zachary, the man enjoying spending more time with his family rather than dealing with the 'pesky' paperwork regarding the family status within the Clockwork society.

The Magus Association might be divided in three grand factions, but even the Barthomeloi-led group was the worst-organized. Numerous noble families squabbling for the feeblest advantage they could gather from espionage, powerplays and duels.

And that jarring setting was a strong enough reason for Julian's father to decide to move out of Europe and settle in… Japan.

The large distance had been shocking for the boy, especially considering the culture shock he was still dealing with the other members of the family, but Zachary's plan wasn't truly simple as he made it seem.

The plan itself lived by two conditions.

The first one is that their relocation to the place where the three grand families that created the Holy Grail would provide some shelter away from the vultures back by their former home while also allowing some chances to broaden the knowledge of the family itself.

The second condition was quite… doubt-inducing.

Julian had just recently tapped into his father's recent past, the man describing some of his youthful adventures to Erika as night-tales and sometimes he would digress to add some details that not even the boy had been aware of.

The detail in question, the one that brought him no little uneasiness over the current setting of their new home, was that Zachary wanted to score a favor with someone he had saved years ago.

It had been purely casual, even the patriarch of the clan had to admit that the dumb luck involved in scoring a debt to the infamous character living just down the road was more than a small fragment of the story.

Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, the monster that chased and killed some of the most powerful Magus all over the world.

So much blood dripped off the little tales his father would give away about the gritty man, but Julian was smart enough to see where some sugar-coating had been applied.

It was difficult to stomach the fact that this former mercenary, now retired right in this city, was supposed to guarantee for their safety during their stay in Japan.

The stay wasn't given a limit of time, Zachary being unsure if it would be convenient to even consider a return to London.

Too much politics, too little time with the family…

It was annoying, but now that his father was here to help, his studies had seen an immediate growth in pace thanks to the presence of the experienced Magus.

Julian was fairly close to grasp the theoretical extent of the Flash Air, the magecraft being the one the family was mostly specialized in, but there was also a minority which Zachary was part of that believed in the well-being of the body and promoted physical enchantments for the sake of creating the pure stability and balance required by their unique specialization.

But while his mind and will were directed at the papers in front of him, a small distraction that has been going in his head for a while now was starting to gain more importance the more he thought about it.

The Magus Killer had been absent while they had settled down in Fuyuki, giving his father time to think how to best interact with the Emiya without being harmed in the process, but Zachary had informed the entire family that the man had returned… with his own family.

To imagine someone as gruesome as Kiritsugu Emiya dragging around some heavy bags back to his home while a pack of young girls rushed to do the same… Julian couldn't help but snort at the sight.

The Boogeyman of the Magus Association was rendered a simple family-man and the sight was granted when his father had called him to look at the scene unfolding.

He had seen the situation happening before his eyes and the amusing mood was then replaced by genuine curiosity and interest.

In that multitude of girls, a young boy that looked to be as old as Julian was calmly walking with his own bags back to the large house.

Surprise had stirred at the idea that the fellow child was the son of the Magus Killer, intrigue and interest mixing at the conclusion that he might end up having to meet him somehow while living there.

With Julian enrolled to the local school, Homurahara Academy, it was bound for him to happen to encounter the red-haired boy in one of the classes, even though they couldn't be sharing the same.

Numerous were the thoughts about this curious development, but still what truly jumped to his attention was the expression present in the youth's face.

He was thinking about something… deep. Something important, something that burdened him and…

That was intriguing to the core much to his surprise.

Maybe it was the fact that he had been holed up in the new house for some days now, or that he merely craved some more social contacts with people his age that weren't his siblings.

Erika and Beatrice were good companions to talk, have fun and play, but then again he wouldn't mind having some friends of his own to spend his time with.

It was a childish demand, but he was a child so…

_**Maybe he could try to approach the fellow boy. Who knows, maybe he would prove to be an interesting companion to have around.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Here is the update, my giddy mood has dried out today for personal reason and… Do you believe in Gravity?**

**Some info about the Ainsworth:**** They are all normal Magus, no Dolls. Beatrice was orphaned by an earthquake and was adopted in the family at the age of five; Erika is not Pandora, but a little girl the same age as Caren. Julian is going to be important and… Angelica will have a fun part in the future arcs.**

**A major difference compared to the first draft:**** In the first version of the story, Miyu was supposed to have been adopted too in the Ainsworth family, but now her role has been shifted and her importance has been elevated. Expect some minor Kaleid Liner vibes of the Dark Souls kind (I'm referring to the Movie kind of creeps).**

**For FF readers: Last Update, instead of producing a chapter, I went back to some of the earlier chapters and fixed most of the mistakes, polished some of the wording and expanded those. Yep, Chapter 2 and 3 have been expanded.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Paxloria****: Kiritsugu is planning something like that, just not anytime soon. After the first attempt, he will be cautious enough to not joke around. Without more info about Shirou's conditions and the full extent of his unknown ability, it's fair to assume he would hesitate from going too direct after the first time. The reason why Shirou isn't going to tell Kiritsugu is based on the fact that he doesn't trust Kerry. As much as they both mean well in the end, they are unaware of their true colors and the general distrust warrants some unwillingness from both parts to open up. They can cooperate against Kotomine and Zouken, but in the end their trust is still far from opening up to each other. Also Kiritsugu's conditions can't be healed via Game as this isn't an overpowered system (yet) and the current reach can't do anything about the curses inflicted by Angra Mainyu so no solutions for Kerry's plight rn, maybe in the future…**


	24. Chariot (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Chariot (4)**

* * *

Waver Velvet was starting to feel cold as he turned the corner of that desolate street, his eyes slightly-wide open as he ventured deep in what looked to be one of the worst situations he could have ever been forced to do.

It's been so little since the Holy Grail War, yet the tension he was feeling was rightfully the same as back then.

After all he was directed to the house owned by one of his former enemies and… infamous killer of Magus families.

Of all Masters that had been taking part to the competition, the young man considered the Master of Saber to be one of the worst nightmares to face during the War, one of the many men that he didn't even dare to approach out of legitimate fear.

While Saber herself proved to be a reasonable fighter that preferred something 'fair' compared to 'efficient', Kiritsugu Emiya had been responsible for utterly demolishing his former teacher; Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald had been considered one of the greatest prodigies in Clock tower, his prowess in fighting making him a perfect candidate as a Master… but a poor strategist because of two horrible weaknesses.

The first flaw was that the infuriating idiot had been over-confident, thinking that this was a duel rather than a battlefield.

That genuine comment was something that Waver could dare to say days after the competition was over; After everything had come together in his mind about the real existence behind someone like the high nobleman, his initial assessment having Kayneth more of a foolish and arrogant man than a truly dangerous opponent…

But that was a mere opinion, he was sure of it.

An opinion influenced by months of frustrations born from constantly headbutting with this individual for conflicting thoughts over Magecraft itself, birthrights and other politics that made the Magus Association a horrible place where to live and try to succeed in life.

Now that he was free from the responsibilities behind War and the happenings in London, Waver was granted the clarity of seeing how the arrogance was mostly dignified by an impressive arsenal and preparation.

Kayneth didn't come in Fuyuki without some contingencies over the possible unfairness of the Holy Grail War, rather he was so sure that 'honor' would have been kept by both the Tohsaka Clan and that the Magus Killer wouldn't go as far as to demolish the hotel he was staying in with his fiancé.

Pride was a curse, but one conceived by nurture than by birth itself. The Archibald family was a prideful bunch, having all settled with important roles within Clock Tower, Kayneth being the culmination of their ambitions…

And now the man was dead, losing dignity, body and soul because of his short-thinking, of his 'trust' toward Kiritsugu Emiya's expected limits as a Master.

Now that the former Lord of the Mineralogy Department was deceased, the family was supposedly decapitated and left without a 'figurehead' to work as a leader.

It was a morbid thought, one that saw Waver musing over the comparison of the renowned group as a body, still trying to figure out that it was now headless and wandering into a terrible pit of doom.

Partly amusing, but the political effects once the news was given to them would be… massive.

The repercussions of seeing an entire illustrious family go down so suddenly and without a clear explanation would surely see a weakening of the Bartholemoi Faction within the Association, a minor setback and lessening of influence.

_And yet the family and the Association were unaware of what had happened here._

The Holy Grail War wasn't a competition that was well-displayed back in London, only the survivors can tell of the events transpiring from those horrible days and…

Waver was one of them.

Tokiomi had died, his decease having been reported for days after the War by numerous local news outlets.

Uryu Ryuunosuke was dead, the serial killer having perished just a little before the end of the competition and his Servant having tried to do… something with the Grail.

Not even the young man was sure of it.

Kariya Matou, the dying husk wandering Fuyuki with the terrifying Berserker had died… or something.

His current whereabouts uncertain to the Magus, but the Matou had not given news about their victory.

The Master of Assassin was reportedly killed by Kiritsugu Emiya and…

That left only him and the Magus Killer.

The older man had survived to the end and surely gotten his wish from the Grail.

Or maybe not?

There was just so much about the Grail, why the Fire even happened and how could a wish cause this damage to the city itself.

Surely, it hadn't been the wish itself, but something happened back then, when the Emiya was so close to the complex construct, that ended up sparking that massive disaster.

Gulping nervously, Waver slowly paced inside the courtyard that led to the traditional Japanese house. The young man had been careful enough to pick this particular day and hour to try and establish contact with the Emiya.

The red-haired child, the alleged son to the Magus Killer, had left the premises of the district with a curious number of girls at his tow, their final step being the nearby park and… that meant that Kiritsugu was left without many individuals staying at the home.

Another step and Waver was now standing the porch, he was right in front of the main door and his hands were trembling just a little.

It was just so… so close to that kind of dread.

Back when the War was still ongoing, back when Rider was here to cheer him up and get him going through the hellfire around him.

But now the burly giant wasn't here and… this wasn't the monumental castle that the now-former Master of Saber had been hiding for most of the competition.

He took a simple breath of air, trying to find at least some balance before going forward with his plans.

His hand lifted from its initial position, away from the safety of his pants' pockets and into the doorbell by the door's side.

The index pressed for a moment the button, just enough for the common bell to ring and alert those still inside that someone was visiting.

As his ears caught the sound, his hand retreated back to the pocket and his eyes widened at the distinct noise of someone approaching, the wooden floor behind the door creaking and giving further signs that someone had indeed heard the bell.

He gulped again and, before the final moment for this nervousness, the climax of his bad feelings, Waver felt his brain yelling at him to run away, to try something else and-

The door opened.

It was already too late for second thoughts, the young Magus thought and his eyes were bestowed with quite the unusual sight.

Instead of the all-black formal-wearing clothes that the tall man was known to don all the time, Kiritsugu Emiya was now wearing a simple kimono and his back was slightly slouched and relaxed.

It was the Magus Killer, the man still appearing just like he did in the War but… he seemed also incredibly tired.

It was fatigue, but it wasn't a physical activity that saw the professional mercenary this much weakened compared to before; it was something much complicated.

The Emiya's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the young man, almost ready to back-pedal inside and close quickly the door but…

Waver bowed respectfully, something he had heard his quirky colleague talk about as a gesture of utter respect.

His eyes were half-closed, panic rising even from the deepest corner of his heart as his lips moved and-

"I-I don't wish to cause trouble, Kiritsugu Emiya-san;" The English foreigner stated, praying that the honorifics wouldn't be a touch to much. "I- I wish to- _**I want to understand what happened in the War.**_"

It sounded like an outburst, a childish demand from a foolish moron trying to make sense of something that was supposed to be easy and-

"What?" The weary man said with a confused tone. "Why… why are you still here?"

A legitimate question, he should have left Fuyuki days ago, maybe even through a raft but… money was important and he had spent everything to just come here in Japan.

It was all loaned, of course, his miser account hardly capable of withstanding the price of traveling to such a distant place as the Land of the Rising Sun.

"I-I can't leave Fuyuki," He admitted out of panic. "M-My current economic situation is-"

"Quiet," The man ordered so suddenly, the Magus Killer's eyes narrowing dangerously and causing the former Master of Rider to flinch and tense up. "Enter inside, now."

The order was so forceful and, knowing of the reputation behind the mercenary's bluntness in terms of demands, Waver didn't have much of a choice.

Sure, Kiritsugu looked weak but… maybe it was a trick? Maybe this was all an ambush to kill more of his enemies.

It wouldn't e a terrible suggestion, after all the Emiya did make an entire hotel collapse for the sake of killing just a man.

The English youth entered quickly, following the Emiya inside the initial corridor and right into… a medium-sized living room.

He had seen one of these back when Otoko had gone out of her way to make him see pictures of her house while he was busy helping around at the liquor bar, _as to prepare him for eventual invitations._

Maybe it was a helpful advice as, if the young Magus was ever to be invited in that household, he would have to deal with an over-protective father and… h_e would need all possible means to leave the place if things happened in that possible situation._

He took a seat nearby the short table, right on the opposite side where the Emiya was sitting and he waited for… something to happen.

Nervousness was a powerful deterrent from trying to get a conversation going, especially if it could end up with the young man clumsily pointing out things he wished to have nothing about.

"You were the Master of Rider, Waver Velvet," The professional murderer stated, eyes fixed on the foreigner. "You were last seen sending your Servant to fight Archer. He lost."

The last comment left him furious as… the situation here given was mostly wrong.

If he had the chance to genuinely stop an unstoppable force like Iskandar, the young Master would have done that.

Command Seals? Rider would have hated him, even caused him to lose and suffer for forcing the exuberant giant to stand down from a monumental fight like the one presented by the golden fool himself.

So, instead of ignoring the obvious bait, the young man merely nodded and let the Magus Killer continue.

"You have yet to leave the city… you mention economic problems," Kiritsugu mused quietly, his hand slowly lifting to the wood of the table, tapping twice. "How much would you need to get out of Japan?"

...What?

Maybe he had entered a different dimension, maybe this was… just a dream or _even the worst nightmare._

But he still heard what the man just said.

It was an offer to give him money required_ to leave this part of the world._

And the reason? It was blatant that the assassin wanted him to leave the proximity of his cover… or was that his real family?

He did remember seeing a young girl with pale hair and red eyes, Einzbern traits and Saber had mentioned something about the Emiya being married to that… kind woman.

_I wonder where she is now…_

"I-I don't need money," The Magus replied cautiously, eyes away from meeting with Kiritsugu's stern orbs. "I'm planning to get enough to leave soon and… this is not the reason behind this visit-"

"Then speak your request," The Emiya interjected coldly, tapping again. "My patience didn't chance from the War and I will not tolerate any annoyances-"

"I want answers." Waver jumped in, his voice gaining some more bravery much to his own surprise. "I want to know what happened when-"

"The Grail is corrupted."

The four words were quickly proposed, the statement initially feeling as lightly as words were meant to be but… then the meaning added an unfair amount of weight to it.

Eyes going wide open and jaw gaping at the sudden blunt comment, Waver couldn't help but speak.

"W-What?"

The Magus Killer held the silence for a few more moments… and then he replied.

"The Grail is corrupted, contaminated, _polluted_ by the presence of a being that has twisted its wish-granting magecraft to a deceitful and destructive degree."

The explanation was logical, reasonably so, but then again Waver couldn't help but see it skeptically.

He had studied intensively the known details of the grand structure, the basis of information Zelretch had been keen to divulge about the grand object without giving enough instructions to make a new Grail from nothing.

Everyone would jump at the occasion of replicating the incredible deed committed by the Makiri, Tohsaka and Einzbern clans, the Three Founding Families having still a relevant spot in Clock Tower even after recent isolation and weakening committed by most of them.

The Makiri was mostly killed and only the Matou branch continued to hold the torch of their reputation, a group that had developed in Japan and away from the Russian homeland their founder, Zolgen Makiri came from.

Yet, despite the essential information missing about the overall functioning of the Greater Grail, the books in Clock Tower clearly allowed some insight over the foundations that made the Grail work so well after almost two centuries of existing.

The system was forcefully made to abide to specific prerogatives that made it impossible for something to corrupt and cause a general destabilization of the main function.

So why should he believe to-

"What happens to the souls of the Servants that die during the competition, Waver?" His mind was forced to shift its focus back to reality as he felt two more taps from the Emiya's finger on the wooden surface; the question entering so quickly and unexpectedly that now he was thinking about it and Waver promptly answered.

"They would be sent back to the Throne of Heroes, their souls are still tied to it and, without a proper connection to the real world they-"

"What if it's not a Hero to die during the Holy Grail War?" He was interrupted once again, the query surprisingly garnering immediate thought as he evaluated it with a perplexed belief.

The Grail couldn't theoretically be able to grant the summoning of a non-heroic being, the main purpose of the Servant-Summoning process based on the fact that the souls of heroes came from the Throne.

There wouldn't be any mean for a non-Hero to be summoned, the process had to be rigged and that wouldn't be an easy feat to commit.

The young man felt ready to reply at that question too, but stopped as he realized that it wasn't the answer Kiritsugu wanted out from him.

It wasn't 'if the process is possible', it was 'what if this happened'.

And that kind of inquisitive look would be an absurd scenario, especially since the Grail wasn't made to have non-heroic spirit.

The issue itself would manifest in two tangents, with the first one being the representation of said individual.

Whoever was summoned, their new bodies would be 'buffed' or 'depowered' considering three factors, which were the 'Original Body' of the hero, the 'Legend' of said hero and the following behind the figure.

These three factors were primary queries that the Grail would 'ask' to the Throne, to try and get a proper and balanced being out for the competition.

If the individual summoned isn't a Hero and lacks a presence within the Throne, the 'reply' would be none.

The Grail would be forced to create a 'default' body for this being and thus… make the Servant as weak as a regular human being.

It would be incredibly impractical and horribly difficult to manage this Servant without it dying against the 'far too strong' super-humans summoned by the Grail.

The second issue that would surely create catastrophic events would be… the soul of this non-heroic Servant.

If the non-hero perishes, their soul would be directed back to the Grail but it wouldn't leave for the Throne because it's not a hero.

It was confusing, terribly so, but the simplicity of the matter was one and only one.

The soul would be sent to the Grail but wouldn't never leave it. It would be stuck inside of it and-

Waver paled a little, thinking back at the presence of beings like Caster, Berserker and Assassin.

"W-Who was the Servant?"

He didn't reply, the young man was sure that the Magus Killer was perfectly aware of the matter or he wouldn't have given him this question.

The man _smiled_ for a brief moment and nodded. "Angra Mainyu, the Zoroastrian God of all Evil. He was summoned as Avenger, a new class conceptualized by the Einzbern Clan as a mean to replace the Berserker card during the Third Holy Grail War."

There was a brief pause, enough silence to give Waver the time to understand the full ramifications of such development, his eyes widening even more and his skin paling further.

Not only the being itself was a completely different class, this development already causing issues with the Grail's matrix, but the fact it was the _goddamn God of all Evil should have been a giant red flag to consider_.

And to think it had all been caused by the Einzbern, the family that _proposed_ the Holy Grail War as a mean to provide a somewhat fair competition to everyone interested to it.

Now the system was obviously damaged, 'polluted' as the Emiya had just called it and… and then the Magus realized something far bigger.

"I-Is that why the Grail started to spill fire and mud?" Waver asked, his mind almost burning at the dreadful situation he had just avoided.

Something that reeked of world-ending scenarios and… that would warrant a seal designation.

Heck, the Holy Grail War should have warranted one decades- _if not centuries ago!_

The process itself was too risky, people were dying for some invisible pleasure and honor from those witnessing partially and from the safest distance possible.

Such a terrible concept of the past still considered _modern_ enough to be kept alive.

All for greed, there was no doubt about it, but-

"Yes, the Grail was trying to 'realize' my wish and it created a destructive version of it," Kiritsugu answered with a tired sigh. "I made sure to neutralize another War by destabilizing the Leylines, there will not be a Fifth Holy Grail War."

There was determination and some steel in this proclamation, enough to almost have the young man to believe him.

Almost, as Waver knew that destabilizing the Leylines wouldn't have been enough to prevent an eventual Fifth War from erupting.

It would skip a cycle, the Grail being rendered unable to fully connect to the proper energy lines, but that wouldn't mean that the Leylines would never return back to their original setup.

Kiritsugu only ended up buying time… or maybe he didn't.

While the means to cause the destabilization were unknown to Waver, skipping a full cycle would cause the Association to make numerous assumptions at the lack of the Grail's resurface.

Many would question visiting and study the construct for the sake of confirming its integrity, but the process would definitively die through the bureaucratic process; the hassle to bring an investigation in Japan to study the grand situation would be an expensive route that would be certainly dismissed for budget issues.

Rumors would rise and fall, but only the easiest guess would persist as the 'truest' fact:

The Grail had ceased to function and there wouldn't have been anymore Grail Wars.

The deception working only if there wasn't any Magus living in Japan in about 120 years, something that was doable considering the dwindling number of people associated to the Moonlit World still living in this specific spot of Asia, many already moving out to China or returning to the United States to join the US-sanctioned Association's counterpart.

That would explain why Kiritsugu was so certain of having stopped the threat created by the Grail once and for all with this attempt but… why would he be still cautious with a Master still wandering around? Why wouldn't he just… let him go away and don't mind his presence?

Sure, Waver was a Magus but, like the Emiya had proven until now, the young man was still spineless enough to submit to this terrifying predicaments.

A Geis would have worked too but… maybe it was for the best that no magical contracts were involved in that moment.

Waver had already enough issues to deal with and a soul-binding development would only see him screwed to an unfunny degree.

"What is your current means to survive here?" Kiritsugu finally asked, tapping again at the table and getting the young man off from his thoughts. "Hypnosis or-"

"I-I've a part-time job as a handyman for… a liquor bar." The Magus held back from giving out the true names that could endanger the small family owning the establishment, knowing full well of what the Magus Killer was capable of.

"No tricks or illusions? You were assumed without Magecraft?"

Waver nodded, his skin regaining some color at the lack of horrible topics to think and talk about to the still-calm mercenary.

The Emiya leaned on the table and blinked. "What kind of shifts are you meant to do there?"

"From lunch until dinner," The rest of the early morning was spent helping around the elderly couple still housing him in their house. "Monday, Wednesday and Friday."

Kiritsugu nodded. "And what would you think of another part-time job?"

…

Waver blinked, confusion rising once more as he thought of the current predicament and he felt ready to pale again.

The Magus Killer had a job for him. A _professionally-trained murderer _had a task for him.

"I-It depends on the requirements and… the task itself."

The Emiya sighed and nodded again. "I have… a family here," The mercenary started to say. "Some are children of mine, Shirou and Illya, while other are a group of youths that are mostly under my responsibility. I need someone to take care of them while they are outdoors."

The young Magus blinked. "As a babysitter?"

"As a guardian," Kiritsugu replied quickly, sparing no doubt in giving this much information out.

"B-But why me?" Waver blurted in utter confusion. "I-I'm just a stranger-"

"That wishes to live for a long time," The Magus Killer muttered back. "Especially since there are some interesting individuals still lurking around in Fuyuki."

The Magus paused just a moment, eyes widening at the comment and mysterious note at the end, his mind burning again as to understand the underlying context of those 'interesting individuals'.

And what was this about his survival? Was the mercenary giving him an ultimatum of sort?

"W-What? A-Are you threatening me?"

"No," Kiritsugu replied smoothly. "But you should be aware that Fuyuki is far from safe even though the War is now over."

Waver blinked, his confusion increasing at the suggestion pushed forward by the tired man.

He had been around the town to know that the place was now a little haven, there was nothing lingering from the previous Holy Grail War and-

"Kirei Kotomine was the Master of Assassin, he was allied with Tokiomi Tohsaka and was the 'heir' to the ownership of Fuyuki's church." He leaned back and sighed. "Have you noticed that the Church hadn't sent any representatives after the conclusion of the War?"

...No.

There was no way that… that another Master was still alive. Especially one as elusive as Assassin's.

"I was the one to place a bullet straight into his heart and..." The mercenary paused just a moment and then continued. "The Mud, the substance that leaked from the Grail and sparked the Fire was the corruption within the construct and it did more than create flames."

That was just ridiculous! H-How would a man that was dead be able to be- No, there has to be another reason to-

"And he wasn't the only one surviving the War."

Waver blinked, before the worst guess came to his mind. "I-Is it Uryuu-"

"No, the child killer is long dead," The Emiya interrupted with a slightly-irritated tone directed at that name. "Just like Kariya Matou, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and Tokiomi Tohsaka are."

Those are all the Masters, further dismissing the trouble of facing his former teacher once more after his gruesome death and-

No.

Nonononononono.

NO!

"I-It can't be a Servant… right?" Waver asked with some desperation. "It can't be that-"

"A golden-haired, red-eyed individual has been spotted lurking around the Church's premises."

And with that mere comment, the young Magus felt the world come crashing down as Iskandar's sacrifice had meant nothing as that bastard was still walking well and healthy.

Anger rushed through his chest and onto his face, his entire expression displaying the inner fury but seemingly leaving the Emiya unfazed at the display.

"Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, is affiliated with Kirei Kotomine. That is why, I need your service, Waver Velvet."

There was a pause, a moment of inner turmoil rising within the Magus as he thought deeply about the offer now presented at him.

It wasn't a mere job now, it was personal business he had to make sure to conclude.

The plans offered to Iskandar, the promise had to be delayed once more.

_**Just enough to see the end of the Golden Fool.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Long Waver-led intermission that is actually a chapter.**

**Why I did this much of a big interjection… well, next chapter will see some tense but surprisingly bittersweet moments.**

**Expect some surprise feelings from the worst people and… yeah, Waver is now official! :)**

**P.S. Chapter 3 and 4 have been revisited and polished of any mistakes, and expanded upon.**

**P.S.S. Many are expecting horrible things from the 'Fate is Sealed' thing about the mission and… ****the kind of Fate that is mentioned it's not the Canon Archer one****, nor any of the other Canon Routes.**

**So what is this 'Fate' that is now sealed?**** (Yes, this isn't meant to be a dreadful outcome, rather a completely different Route… about Shirou's life rather than HGW routes.)**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Paxloria****: The question would be 'Would Kiritsugu bothered to make Shirou an equal partner in this situation'? As much as Shirou did many things, Kiritsugu isn't certainly invested in divulging the plan he has in mind to exact as it would easily be 'twisted' by a child's mind. Shirou's morality wouldn't just condone what Kiritsugu's pragmatism would consider a success about this plan. And no, Shirou didn't overlook Rin's hopes of being 'saved', rather he is trying to go a more heroic route. And that is to save everyone (which is flawed, I'm aware of that).**

**Arsur3215Loki****: Why should I rewrite Fate Stay Night?**


	25. Dagger (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Dagger (1)**

* * *

Between Illya's attempts to bolt and rush deeper in the park to explore such a new novelty of a place and Caren's unwillingness to stray too much from the group while clinging on a certain redhead, Shirou was feeling quite conflicted about the normalcy behind such a simple thing as a mere walk in the park.

Surprisingly enough, Taiga was the calmest among the girls and the Gamer was rightfully impressed by how the situation was handled.

Shock filled the young Emiya's mind when the brunette started to rein in the two strong-minded children from creating havoc during this first visit, while she also gave some accurate words about the natural haven within this Japanese city.

Gray followed the slightly older girl around, keeping herself from asking too many questions out of politeness and shyness, yet the dark-silver-haired teen proved to be the only one in the group to give that much dedication in learning about this section of their new home.

Maybe it was because the trees, the plants and even the structure of the park was different from anything she had seen back in England.

Shirou couldn't certainly pinpoint the exact reason behind her thoughts in those moments, yet the genuine sense of interest displayed by her awed expressions as she was given some descriptions about the trees all around was enough to confirm she was enjoying this walk.

Sella and Leysritt were giving a slow chase behind, the former actually looked a little relaxed over the simplicity of such activity, something that didn't certainly require any major worries or responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Liz was merely humming to herself as giving some attention to the words coming from Taiga, showing minor interest in this incredibly quiet place.

It was still early in the morning and not many individuals were already there wandering within the place and so the park was mostly _theirs_ to enjoy in relative peace.

It took about twenty minutes for Illya to stop being this fussy over being restricted from wandering alone through the area, her bored self soon piqued as she began some loose conversation with Caren and soon the two were engaging in a simple but pleasant discussion.

Both were clinging by Shirou's arms, much to the redhead's minor discomfort, and the language barrier was mostly broken by the presence of the two maids; With Sella working as the main interpret for both and Leysritt jumping once or twice in a while with ironically shorter versions of the sentences uttered by the two girls.

It was slow-paced at first, the young Emiya keeping quiet during the whole ordeal out of curiosity and little interest over the attempt at bonding, as both pale-haired children began sharing some interesting tales from their respective upbringings.

It wasn't anything concerning and thus the Gamer let the two continue with this discussion without intervening much, only when one of the two would require his input over some of the topics mentioned.

Quite curious as a development, he hadn't expected things to change so radically once they had all returned to Fuyuki and… he felt somewhat conflicting over this grand change.

While he was glad that he brought so many people together back to some safety here to his home, the boy had legitimate reason to be concerned over some pending issues about… his own uniqueness.

Until that point, training had been something essential in developing more of the Game, to unlock more of the potential allowed by such an abnormality and…

Now that there were so many individuals around and all of them were attached to him so closely… when would he get the time to refine the abilities he currently had and explore the new routes allowed by the recent days' events?

Issues that weighted quite a lot in his head, enough to warrant some distractions mid-walk here and there as he thought about this dreadful predicament.

It had been something that had kept him from finding full rest, from getting any genuine relax from the past happenings as…

He knew very well now that Illya was here, things would have to be dealt here at home.

Fuyuki had monsters too, Kirei Kotomine being the one he knew at the moment and yet… he wasn't the worst individual just yet.

Instead Shirou couldn't help but think again about Kiritsugu's order, the chilling attempt to have him kidnap Rin troubling him to no end.

Why did the older Emiya even consider something like this? And why he mentioned Aoi having to die?

WHY?!

It just didn't make any sense from a simple perspective as of why would the green-haired woman's death be an unquestionable detail within whatever the former mercenary had planned to do with the fake priest.

The woman was frail, unable to act and defend herself. She couldn't form opinions, she couldn't become an obstacle to him…

Unless said ill individual was used as a barrier. Or better, as a hostage.

If there was something that Rin had mentioned to him before he went for the trip out of Japan, it was that Kirei had been starting to 'hover a little closer' to her mother, almost protectively and… distrustfully.

Many servants that had been hired to take care of her had been unassigned from their previous tasks, the regent of the family taking more and more roles within the mindful helping given to the disabled woman.

It had worried the young girl and for good reasons as she had been given lesser time to spend with her remaining parent and… fear had been a strong note within the young Tohsaka's tone.

Could it be that the Kotomine had been planning to use Aoi as a _shield_ against Kiritsugu?

As abominable as it sounded to his mind, Shirou knew that… it had to be a strong possibility and there was enough proof to back it up to a genuine eventuality.

But while such confirmation gave him a gloomy realization over the predicament itself, about Kiritsugu's reason to already ignore Aoi's survival with whatever he had planned to do with the priest.

Was he going to trust his 'father' in doing the right thing?

Would it be right to let it happen without giving it a true effort?

The Gamer was aimless without any indication from the Game itself, the lack of a mission about this matter (excluding the attempt of having him pursue Kiritsugu's approach) was bringing him even more hesitation.

And while part of him advised for him to wait and see, there was also a strongly vocal fragment of himself that urged him to do much more.

It wanted him to investigate more about the situation instead of spending time by just pondering over his next actions, to dismiss such hesitation and remember something that the dream with that strange woman had given to him in the form of consciousness.

There were numerous shades of being a hero, from being as hopeless as Kiritsugu with its amoral sense of justice and… the overly-hopeful stance that threw that mysterious blonde woman right into the worst scenario possible.

Two extremities made the duty of a hero easy to despise and detest, the one made by disillusioned claimants and… the unforgivable end of those that tried too hard only to get burned to a crisp by their own sense of honor.

Both sides of the same coin were the grand dividers within his mind, the raw and unveiled need to serve in something important while also enjoying the work around himself.

A horrible conceptualization of the idea, something that truly needed a true reform unless-

"H-Hey! Wait up!"

The sudden call got the entire group to stop in their walk, their attention directing back right where the voice had come from and… they all looked at the approaching, tired-looking young boy.

Shirou merely blinked as a familiar notice popped in front of him.

**Name: Julian Ainsworth**

**Title: Mirror Mirror**

**Age: 7**

**Level: 9**

**Health Points (HP): 450**

**Mana Points (MP): 2000**

Slightly surprised by this arrival, the Gamer looked more curious than tense as he noticed that this 'Julian' had working circuits within his body and-

"Halt!" Sella exclaimed while Leysritt deployed her axe-halberd in a guarding position as to bar the child from coming even closer to them.

The surreal element behind such deployment was that Liz didn't have… no space within her clothes to hide such a cumbersome weapon and yet she managed to bring it around somehow.

Despite the strong opposition, the boy didn't seem deterred from continuing to speak.

"I-I don't mean any harm!" He stated while giving a formal bow towards them. "I just wish to discuss politely with Shirou-san and the others since… I'm your newest neighbor!"

There was a minor pause after this sudden proclamation as the redhead tried to make sense of such development.

_Their new… neighbor?_

"My name is Julian Ainsworth and I wish to introduce my family before my father mess things up with your father, Shirou-san." His posture steeled even more after saying this.

"Your father… messing things up?"

"He is too easygoing as a man and… he tends to mess things up in delicate opportunities," Julian explained with a sigh. "He is a good guy but-"

"Wait, your name is Ainsworth, right?" Taiga suddenly piped in with a curious look, drawing quickly the attention of the bespectacled boy.

"I-I- Yes?" He said with a hint of uncertainty, unsure as of why this young woman seemed to know about his family.

Something that even Shirou was confused about himself as they hadn't been there before leaving Fuyuki for the trip and this was the first time he had seen someone like the young Ainsworth.

"You are Erika-chan's oniichan? The one she talks a lot about!" The brunette almost squealed while saying this, increasing the group's overall confusion even more as she jumped over Leysritt's weapon and… rushed to pick the panicking boy up much to the shock of the two maids.

"F-Fujimura-san?" Sella said with a stunned tone, then she steeled up again. "Fujimaru-san, that child is part of the Ainsworth Clan, a renowned part of the Bartholemoi Faction in Clock Tower-"

"And his little sister is my little apprentice since yesterday," The teen rebuked with a bright smile as she hugged closer the nervous-looking boy. "Raiga-jiji decided to have me tutor someone about Japanese, as a preparation for my future career as a teacher."

…

"Didn't we just return from our trip-" Shirou tried to ask, but the girl huffed.

"I know! Raiga-jiji just surprised me with this yesterday while I was putting everything in my room, he said that he had invited someone interested in learning some Japanese and I found Erika-chan," Taiga huffed about the suddenness of her predicament, then she smiled brightly.

"She is such a sweet student, by being so polite and always-listening. Think that tomorrow, which is when I will have our next session, I planned to make use of the kitchen since we will talk about food and-"

The brunette continued to chat swiftly about her positive reaction to her newest 'student' about her provisional plan of teaching and everything else about 'how cute Erika-chan is'.

But despite the simple happiness exuding from the young Tiger of Fuyuki, Shirou couldn't help but have his stare land on Julian and… his lack of squirming.

He was still breathing, his face was given plenty of space to draw air from, but the young Ainsworth didn't truly seem that much 'terrified' by this hold.

Actually, the presence of the blatant blush on his face and the slightly-nervous but elated expression there giving more than enough reason to project a glare upon this little folt.

He felt fairly closed by his reaction and… he didn't consider that he was tensing up with both Caren and Illya by his sides.

Both girls noticed this sudden shift in mood and, after giving a quick look at the irritation on Shirou's face, they both shared a smirk and turned to look at Gray.

The dark-silver-haired girl blinked back at them and then frowned at the brunet as she realized what they were alluding too while they pointed at the distracted Shirou, her blue eyes spotting the little 'comfort' this Julian was gaining and… she nodded back.

"T-Taiga-sensei, could you please finish the explanation you were saying until a few moments ago?" The English young woman asked in a polite and calm tone, adding the little stutter to make her act convincing in this occasion. "I was interested by-"

Gray didn't even need to conclude her request that the fellow teen rushed by her side with a wide smile, the usage of the 'Sensei' honorific being more than enough to gain the full attention of the young brunette as she flung across the distance and resumed her previous discussion.

Julian yelped as he found himself hitting the ground, suddenly standing up with a red face and lots of complicated thoughts but he sobered up pretty quickly as he faked a cough.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to… to not react to that," He apologized profusely, bowing several times before Shirou sighed.

"Look, can you just tell me what you really want?" The redhead asked with a calm tone, getting a nervous smile from Julian.

"I-I wish to befriend you, Shirou-san," The bespectacled boy replied quietly. "Since we are going to be neighbors, I don't wish to bring animosity between each other and-"

"Okay."

…

"W-What?"

"I said 'Okay'," The Gamer replied with a nod, Caren and Illya letting go as he started to approach the now-surprised Ainsworth.

Leysritt lifted her axe-halberd up to allow passage, both maids looking still tense but permitting the young boy to approach Julian and… Shirou smiled as he was now in front of the young Magus.

"I'm Shirou Emiya, nice to meet you, Julian," The redhead said calmly, extending his right palm to him, to which the dark-haired boy nodded at as he reached out of it.

"Nice to meet you too… Shirou,"

They both shared a handshake and… Julian couldn't help but be confused by the strange smile on Shirou.

It looked happy, yet sad, tired and… disappointed by something.

What a mystery, what was going on with his peer?

But before anything else could happen from this, the young Ainsworth felt someone rushing towards them and there was only a brief notice before the unidentified object struck towards the,.

"_Emiya-kun!_"

A twin-tailed missile with bright blue eyes slammed on both boys, tackling them down to the floor.

Groans of pains were ignored by a quick huff by the feminine figure standing onto the two.

"Emiya-kun, you returned to Fuyuki and didn't tell me!" A slightly-irritated Rin Tohsaka mused as she continued to stay put in that dual pillow made by both children. "You should have told me! We have to talk about a lot and-"

The girl stopped, eyes narrowing at unknown element in that close encounter. "And who are you?"

The young Magus frowned at the sudden request, but his mouth replied without brain's input.

"J-Julian Ainsworth."

The twin-tailed girl huffed. "Rin Tohsaka."

'Rin Tohsaka? What a peculiar name for a hurricane?' Julian would have wanted to say, but before he could he heard someone else speak.

"Rin, you shouldn't assault people so blatantly and so recklessly," A smooth but blank tone commented. "You could end up creating more trouble than else."

Shirou didn't even need to turn to know whom had just arrived, his ears catching a soft noise coming from a working wheelchair and… his eyes were now fixed at the approaching Kirei Kotomine, the man pushing the wheelchair with a smiling Aoi Tohsaka on it.

_**N-Not now!**_

* * *

When Gilgamesh had suggested to Kirei to visit the park for that day while accompanied with Aoi and Rin, the priest had been confused by such an order as… he didn't felt much interested over the place.

The park here in Fuyuki was a little attraction for locals and tourists alike, a pretty sight for those that needed calm and relax from the dreadful machinations of normal life.

It wasn't much important for someone like Kirei Kotomine, the place only giving him a sight over any possible future preys to kidnap, to torture for the sake of satisfying his inner twisted desires and use to fuel Gilgamesh's vast but limited reserves.

Even though the Archer-Class Servant had managed to survive the system imposed by the Grail, he wasn't truly alive, but a husk created by the pollution within the Greater Grail that housed the soul of the legendary hero.

A little hope for him to never have to deal with a quick betrayal from the powerful being, especially since the priest was the only individual that would be so willing to find 'batteries' to bring new energy to the King of Heroes.

So, while he could have merely scoffed at the 'suggestion' forwarded by Gilgamesh, his interest was piqued when the King decided to add a little detail within his phrasing; something that urged him to try and study the matter personally.

'There is something of yours wandering this city, something that can kill you with a mere sight.'

What a foolish idea, to think that there was some object that was his to have but that could kill him with a mere… look?

Truly confusing but also endearing from a certain perspective, his heart aching to explore the means to dull the boredom that had taken a toll over him in the last few weeks.

It's been so long since he had hunted down something or someone, his bloodlust now craving for some reward after being kept distracted for so much time.

It was a must, he felt greedily and selfishly, to bring satisfaction to his draining duties as a regent for the Tohsaka clan, to bathe his metaphorical teeth in the blood of his next targets.

So when he decided to follow through with the 'suggestion' from the King of Heroes, Kirei had expected to find some object lying around for him to recover and use for his own uses but the scene he was bestowed was far greater than any materialistic gift he could have asked for.

Shirou Emiya, the red-haired foolish youth was lying on the floor with another boy before he started to get up from the grass as Rin backed away from him and allowed them both to stand up.

He was there, another symbol of defiance that had appeared from the ashes of a broken dream. To think that Kiritsugu was now back and with him… his last bit of happiness in the form of his little child.

Sheltered by the Einzbern's defensive walls and Boundary fields, the former Master of Assassin could remember the failed attempts of the killers sent by Tokiomi to kidnap the little child.

A juicy hostage that would have put a serious wrench in the plans of his arch-nemesis, the Magus Killer possibly folding under such pressure and even surrender with the proper terms.

A pity that things weren't as easy as the former head of the Tohsaka Clan had planned, nor they were as stable as he tried to make them appear.

Like his dysfunctional family, now even more broken with his wife now a little shell of herself and little Rin so _deliciously _unaware of the horrifying truth behind her father's demise.

A pity that Tokiomi had been just so _quick_ to kill compared than he had planned. It had taken a dagger plunged deep in his core, so swift and unforgiving, to get the man to exhale his last breaths.

Every life is so frail and easy to take with the proper strength, intellect and capacity.

That was something that Kirei had started to understand back when he began his training as an Executor for the Church.

His morality was already bleak back then, but now that its true nature was unveiled and his shackles were broken, the words he had long listened from some 'questionable' individuals back in his youth now meant something to him.

It was all so clear and… beautiful.

He could remember back when his father would mention the true essence of beauty, how a younger Kotomine, so childish and pitiful had failed to notice the reality of things and…

Now he can see it clearly. He can see beauty in the form of the blood spectacle incarnated by his creative mind.

What a playful display of things and what a jubilee to see the eventual horror rising from those sinless faces.

Children were easier preys, but also the more expressive with their unraveling of the magnitude of something terrifying to anyone put in a frightening situation.

His attachment to the suffering was still meaningful, not as 'aesthetic' as the one proclaimed by the long-deceased Master of Caster, sinful Uryu Ryuunosuke having 'decided' to become like this instead of being born in the role of the monster.

Kirei sighed as he stopped the wheelchair, just so that Rin could approach back to them.

What a beautiful day to bring some fear to the heart of his little new obstacle, the child known as Shirou showing some strong front before him and… it made him elated.

Someone as young as him being able to withstand part of the gruesome fate it awaited him? Why, it was quite the most elating thing he could have _**begged**_ for!

He was so close, it would have taken just a few well-placed words and some gesturing with the little silly doll under his control, Shirou Emiya would have crumbled like a puppet for him to manipulate around for the priest to satisfy his sick desires of torture.

So easy and so close…

_**But also so estranged and unimportant with just a stare**_.

He had to blink again as he noticed a little detail he had spotted not too long ago, a little pair of yellow orbs glancing at him with some intensity and… familiarity.

His interest sky-rocketed abruptly and his attention was shifted right onto the owner of such pretty ambers.

The little girl… looked just like her mother, Claudia, yet the lack of bandages and the intrigued expression plastered on her face much more appetizing compared to her long gone parent.

Caren Hortensia was a little beauty, more than he could have ever dreamed of and… he was content.

His corrupted heart quivered with suggestions, whispering sweet things over his mind about ending the life of such lovely child.

From the simplest, which entailed the twist of her little neck, to the most complex torture he could think in that very moment, a danse macabre of blood, bone and screams.

What a treat! But sadly it didn't appeal much to his need to intervene.

No, even with the presence of so many witnesses, his cruel temptation of bringing as much suffering to his daughter just like it had been back when dear Claudia was still alive and in stable conditions.

How much far he would go just to hear a little scream, to see her scared and sent to panic for the sake of the 'comedic purpose' of such act.

Yet… it didn't appeal once again.

How odd, Kirei mused silently as he tried to make sense of this little hesitation.

Maybe it was the lack of creativity, of uniqueness in the already-used techniques of torture he wanted to make use of, or maybe his sense of self-preservation had unconsciously picked something from the scene.

Something that was getting him a little tense but also fairly quiet over the immense sense of opportunity given by the current predicament at hand.

What a waste, his naughty heart pouted so rightfully.

And what a fair point he brought up by proclaiming his lack of initiative over the succulent scene in front of him.

Indeed, what a waste, he confessed somberly and quite sadly to his whiny organ.

But he couldn't fight this unwillingness to act, his frustration to even consider any new chance of drawing some fright out of the young public before him.

A massive pity, but one that got him started to get him think once more onto little Shirou Emiya.

The boy had started to whisper curious think to little Rin, Tokiomi's daughter looking so certain of true pain, yet so naive and innocent to the true extent of the fall that his family was suffering.

It was in that very moment that he decided to focus on the third element of that discussion, the bespectacled boy that was giving quick glances towards him and… Kirei felt curious about the familiarity of his face.

The features were just uncanny, those were the same unique traits only a peculiar man had and… that made the whole situation even more endearing and joyful.

The little one had to be a child to the Ainsworth family, dignifying that the 'missing clan' had decided to move here in Japan of all places.

The more numerous families joined this happy community, the merrier for him to then decimate with flawless plans of assassination and massacre.

Today Kirei felt his brain overworking for how many delicacies and treats he could sample in the form of _funny_ tortures but then again… it would have been far too easy.

Tainting the grass from green to red, to bathe the little and innocuous flowers with blood and flesh.

Such a pity that his hunger to give pain was selective today and… he was shocked when his stare ended up unconsciously back to the little golden-eyed angel waiting there to be butchered.

So defiant, so unaware and… so lovely to stare at.

He blinked, confusion rising from his corrupted heart as he felt a little ache at the unexpected emotion.

But what emotion was it? It wasn't driven by murderous needs or twisted resolutions.

It was strong, painfully so, but it didn't make him want to back away from the staring contest, actually pushing him to continue it.

And the more he looked deep in those honey-like orbs that once were only of his beautifully-dead wife, the more he felt a story unfold before him.

The loneliness, the lack of genuine close family and the requirements imposed by birthrights.

What an uncouth remembrance, and yet those weren't just his memories.

Kirei almost flinched at the realization, his chest hurting even more as the now-irritated organ was pushing him back to reconsider his current escalation.

What an odd sense of fear was washing over himself, the chance of dying for just a stare and-

_**There is something of yours wandering this city, something that can kill you with a mere sight.**_

...Oh Lord, this explains so much.

Thankfully for the priest, the visit didn't prolong too much as he didn't try to extend such a frightening situation for too long as he was quick to dismiss the words coming from the growing group led by the Magus Killer so that he could return both Tohsaka females back to their new home.

Once he was done with this little task, with his heart still pounding so harshly onto his chest, the Kotomine went back to his church and right to the basement where the victim of his last torture session was waiting.

He didn't restrain himself, anger and pain domineering his thoughts as he_ dismantled_ the young orphan without hesitation and forgetting the real purpose of this little life now crumbling before him.

He was so desperate in reacquiring that familiar sense of moral depravity, something that in the end returned after five hours of crude ministrations, that he was blissfully unaware of the pair of red eyes looking from afar as he descended into a brief bout of insanity.

Gilgamesh smiled as his vision had been correct just as he had been sure of. Shirou Emiya will bring the end of his puppet, either mentally or physically.

_**But no matter the means to reach such a delicate climax, the end shall be the same and his new plan would enter in action.**_

* * *

**AN**

**I think I've been quite brutal with Kirei's POV. To be honest, I was distracted while writing, thinking only about 'what would Kirei think in his twisted brain' and put it on paper.**

**A little graphic? That's Kirei for you.**

**And I did mention this chapter would have ended up a little bittersweet, didn't I?**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**YuukiAsuna-Chan****: The Grail summon Heroic Spirits and gives them limited bodies (in need of constant energy from their Master's reserves, prone to disappear by 'death'). What gets absorbed by the grail is the essence created by the death of the Servant's body, not the body itself but the energy of its departure as the Soul is then sent back to the Throne. Lastly, sometime it's also being heroic bringing the end to unfairness, as much ideal it might be. True heroes aren't those from the fables, they are the men and women that establish new rules that bring real justice to the world. Just like JFK said: "A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on." **

**That guy0101****: I'm considering something. But it will not be Chaldea or any full-fledged FGO connection. **

**KitCat0922****: As mentioned in last chapter's AN: 'This isn't meant to be a dreadful outcome'.**


	26. Dagger (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Dagger (2)**

* * *

There was barely some sunlight coming from the windows of the currently quiet household, most of its inhabitants still trying to get the last few hours of sleep before the beginning of a new day here in her new home.

Illya's red eyes were still drawn to the peculiar style of this 'Japanese' building, her mind finding awe and fascination at the experience that was walking quietly through the silent hallways of this 'house', much different from the style she was mostly accustomed too.

The wooden floor felt warm at her bare feet, the little Einzbern was still donning her light purple and white night-wear while she continued with her early-day wandering.

The little trip at the local park, something that reminded her of the few pictures book her Mama would show her about these nice places all over the world, trying to capture the beauty of nature while also keeping it close for those living in the big cities.

Fuyuki Town was big. Not as big as some of the cities Illya had heard about, but big enough to get her wondering if the size of the parks was determined by the size of the cities themselves.

And what a wonderful realization was the one the girl was given about the fact that she was now free of visiting the pretty place with some little escorting, the dreadful rule of keeping stuck within the 'home' that was the former Einzbern castle seemingly rescinded by Kiritsugu's own volition.

But what truly got her giggly every time she would think about it was that she was no longer alone in this new state of things.

Illya had always thought about the interesting scenario of having a younger sibling, always giving a little prayer for her Mama to gift her with a little sister or even an adorable brother to hug when she wanted to.

To have a playmate, someone that would shatter the lonely moments with their mere presence.

Despite the unfortunate passing of her Mama, it was her Papa that decided to grant her this wish in the form of the red-haired young boy that she so fiercely considered her prince.

He was cute, there was no denying about that, but what truly got Shirou to stand above her early expectations of siblings was the refreshing personality of his.

Of course some of the interactions were not as complete as she wanted those to be, with her 'Oniichan' being unable to share her own language, German being fairly 'difficult' from what Sella was kind enough to describe.

But why was it difficult if Illya, someone so young and little, was capable of speaking it so fluently?

Said question almost fell answerless, but it was Leysritt's own reply that gave her a proper idea of the language barrier she had with Shirou.

"Japanese is different," The short-haired maid had briefly mentioned, letting the rest form within the little Einzbern's mind.

Not only was Japanese much more complicated that German, even with Taiga-_nee_ help in conjunction to the two maids' translations only a handful of words managed to get through the 'invisible bubble' about the exotic words.

Oniichan was one of the few terms that stuck around, possibly the first one considering that it was an 'honorific' directed at her little brother.

Albeit wrong as it traduced as 'Big Brother' in the way it's used because Illya was the oldest of Kiritsugu's children, the red-eyed girl couldn't help but feel endeared by the fact that the meaning behind its use went a little beyond the simple 'age connotation'.

It was about… initiative and determination. It was about bravery and maturity.

She could have preferred to cling onto the redhead more because he was adorable and her little brother, but the young Einzbern was perfectly capable of noticing that something just felt odd about her 'younger' sibling.

Something that she couldn't explain at first, but then it started to build up right from when they had met each other.

He was there to help their Papa, Kiritsugu had came to try and save her from her dummy grandfather's cluthes, almost getting hurt in the process.

Silly Papa, forcing himself to do more because he wanted to save his little Illya.

A giggle tried to leave her lips at the mere thought that he had been so worried and so genuinely interested in having her saved from that horrible castle, but her mind was quick enough to remind her that this wasn't the place nor the time to let out any unnecessary noises as she continued with her patrol around her new home.

Soon her mind resumed the thoughts about the visit at the park, bringing up three elements to her new life that she was still unsure how to properly label.

Rin was certainly a nice friend and it was also awing how her appearance somehow appeared to be 'the opposite of hers' in terms of eyes and hair-color.

Still, the two managed to find common ground as they both were fond of the easily-teased Shirou, the boy almost groaning at the triple assault he was receiving and… the second boy in that group seemed to be unsure how to deal with it all.

Julian was… normal. Average sounded so wrong to properly address the shy nature of the dark-haired child as Illya could see some moments of potential springing here and there during the few interactions initiated by the boy.

He was… confused at best. Possibly overwhelmed just like she had been at being close to so many nice individuals at once.

Yet, the boy made a good impression. He was funny and curiously keen to accept hugs from the ever-so-cheerful Taiga for some unknown reason.

Finally, it was the turn of the last inclusion to her life and the little Einzbern didn't know how to properly describe the confusion born from this friend of Kiritsugu.

Waver Velvet looked incredibly scrawny and quite the sad person, but he seemed reactive enough to deal with the initial contact coming from the Taiga.

The brunette had been so sure of having met him before, so much that she started to mention a curious tale about a burly red-haired man driving around the meek-looking young man with some quirky errands.

An odd story which at first felt like a mistaken translation and… proved to be actually as crazy as it sounded like.

A quiet relieved sigh left her lips as she continued tip-toeing around, using the wall by the side to not fall because of her general sense of unstable footing.

Then something changed in that silence, her red eyes widing open as she cautiously continued with her little activity and soon stopped at the curious change of peace.

A single sound, a noise coming from one of the rooms on the other side of the corridor she was walking around got her to pause, her sight moving right onto the mostly-closed door.

She approached it, pressing her left ear onto the soft texture, blinking as she waited for another hint of something happening inside.

Illya knew that the room in question was the one owned by Caren, the girl that spoke another different language from German and Japanese.

Italian was odd, maybe because it just sounded… amusing to hear coming from the fellow girl or maybe because of the reactions born from the usage of the language.

Despite the overall attempt to get to share the room with Shirou, Kiritsugu had been quite strict in restricting those 'sleepovers' to only a few occasions and to not turn those in frequent situations.

_But of course, sneaking to snuggle up the body wasn't something he had 'certainly' said anything about._

Another noise was heard by her, this time it was a little more refined than before and… somehow familiar.

Feeling a little worried, especially with what happened back in the park when the strange blank-looking man approached them to bring little Rin to the fold for some moments…

There was just something odd about him, something that her Papa agreed by saying that this man wasn't a nice one. And that he was connected to Caren herself.

Which was more than enough to bring even more concern over the possibility of this mean man trying to hurt her friend and… the Einzbern finally peeked through the little opening that gave sight over the room.

It was mostly silent, there was no visible intruder there and the window on the far corner was closed shut, leaving only a single element in that state of calm to disrupt a peaceful scenario.

The trembling that was happening within the lone, little futon, the cause hidden by the sheets covering the girl's frame, seemed to be the original point from where the noise was coming from and, as Illya moved her head through the door, she finally heard it clear enough to see what was going on.

A whimper, then two and…

Red eyes blinked, the older girl stepping silently inside the room as she started to walk closer to the trembling futon, a flinch leaving only a few hints on her face as she quickly recognized what looked to be a nightmare.

She had nightmares back in the castle, right a few days after her parents had gone to compete in the Holy Grail War.

None of the maids would stay to keep her company, not even when she requested her grandfather to leave someone to keep watch over her sleep she managed to get an answer about.

And now that the Einzbern stared at the shivering Caren, she couldn't help but be reminded of the dreadful experience once more.

She blinked, then glanced to the slightly uncovered section of the futon and… hummed quietly as she moved in.

As her right foot carefully spearheaded her entrance in the little fun-bed, her red eyes sported a surprised look at how warm it was and… the fellow child stopped shivering, tensing up as Illya concluded her little intervention.

Golden eyes locked onto her rubies as Caren turned her head to look at her, seemingly shocked by the unexpected presence.

There was no translator to help in case of lengthy sentences and so the two merely stared at each other, unsure how to start that odd predicament.

At least, it was odd for the youngest of the two but… Illya knew exactly what to do after having seen Taiga-nee doing something similar with Shirou.

Without notice nor warning, the Einzbern pulled the Hortensia in for an embrace, the already-tense golden-eyed girl growing even more nervous over the escalation but she decided against moving out of that hug.

Instead she found herself drawn to explore it, her head nuzzling close at the warmth as her eyes felt tired once again.

It was still fairly early in the morning and she would be lying in saying that she had gotten any chance to rest after the session of bad dreams she had to deal with.

Illya was humming an unfamiliar lullaby while she consoled her, eyes closed as both tried to catch some little sleep before having to get up for breakfast.

There was quiet, there was silence and…

She couldn't hear _**it **_anymore.

It had been a strange night, one that saw her mind react to the most confusing of nightmares as… it lacked of anything that she could genuinely find scary to deal with.

Yet she could remember it. Perfectly so.

There was no sight, everything had been dark and lacking of any other individuals other than herself and… then she started to hear that constant noise.

It was like a drum, a slow but painstakingly demanding one.

A perpetual sound that stuck to her head, like a painful memory trying to burn itself in her mind.

Ba-dump. _**Ba-dump.**_

Two quick heartbeats, one similar to the other… but one of those just felt wrong.

The second beat was fiercely horrible, stained with something so foul that she could felt shivers building up even beyond her sleep.

A dark song that got her terrified, some tears building up at the edges of her eyes as she was forced to wake up from that insane display of noises and sounds.

Tiredness eventually got her to return to sleep, her mind sure to have banished whatever terrible thought had managed to get her this much uneasy after giving a few prayers and hoping for God to grant her some more hours of rest.

_**Her hopes were crushed by the time the hearbeats resumed.**_

In this second session, the second heart seemed to increase its pace, unhappy with how things had concluded last time and almost trying to chide her.

It was just too wrong.

Why would a heart be capable of lecture people? Why could she hear some malicious whispers from it?

So many foul words, insults and other horrible ordeals.

Illya's arrival had brought an end to this strange situation, her third time trying to seek rest actually concluding with her finding the peace she was seeking in the form of a single heartbeat.

This one was less oppressive and much more caring, it was somehow familiar but in a faint way.

The lullaby itself, even though unknown to her, seemed to bring some fragmented memories of her childhood.

So when Caren succumbed to the unexpected but warm intervention of the fellow girl as they were now snuggling close to each other and enjoying the silent morning.

_Ba-dump~_

She felt herself nodding at the calming heartbeat, her mind shutting down as she finally received the much-needed rest.

_Taiga ended up being the one finding an unconscious Kiritsugu having fallen by the floor in front of the room where the two girls were happily sleeping by. Numerous pictures were snapped with her cellphone, her face twisted in a mirthful and giddy manner as she beckoned the sight with quite the pleased expression._

_**What a wonderful day this one was going to be~!**_

* * *

**~?'s POV~**

Her first sensation that filled her entire core was… confusion.

She blinked slowly, carefully as her eyes tried their best in adapting at the immense light washing over her body.

The world just felt surprisingly brighter compared to the dark sight her slumber had provided her during her patient waiting.

Her memories were slowly returning to her and she soon was enveloped by a sense of non-negligible nausea.

Scenes of battle and blood, of hunger and… of sadness.

People that she knew about either dying or becoming victims of their own needs, family becoming enemy and…

She blinked, tears already swelling in her eyes as she realized what had happened mere moments after conceding to some rightful sleep.

Her body had needed it after fighting for so long back then, the strength it was known to have from the very conception difficult to properly measure and channel through her youthful and inexperienced self.

She was still too young, she contemplated with a sigh, her perception finally granting her the detail that she was lying on some ground and she quickly stood up from it, unwilling to dirt her pristine-white dress.

Her red eyes painted the light away, the bright nature of the sun seemed to slowly diminish much to her minor happiness as it offered her a better chance of understanding where exactly she had woken up into.

Some tall grass was now reaching the limits of her shoes, where the pale skin that reached up to her upper feet and… she felt ticklish but not ready to be amused by the world.

At least not until she got a proper answer about her queries.

She was in a green and blooming field of green; grass and flowers coloring the natural beauty of this part of Earth in such a delightful manner.

Her heart was soothed by the pretty sight, her mind feeling less burdened by the panic born from the unplanned awakening.

It was just mere moments later that she noticed the shadow that was now looming over her, right from behind.

It was also ironic how the last time they had met happened in a very similar situation to this one.

She looked around, slowly turning her head back to greet whoever had decided to interrupt her rest and she was greeted with quite the familiar individual.

He was taller than her, so much that he seemed more of a giant that a mere being, but his strength came within the choice of his expressions.

He was smiling, with the same amount of tiredness and mirthfulness as back then, but now it looked like there was much more hiding that petty pretenses of peace.

"Good morning, little princess," The elder bowed his head just a little, creating a sense of mockery out of normal courtesy. "I see that you haven't changed much since I last saw you wandering around."

There was a tense pause, her red orbs narrowing onto the red eyes of his, those joking spheres of blood giving her the worst of annoyances.

"Why did you wake me up, Zelretch?" There was some irritation in her tone, but surprise was the bit that domineered over the situation.

Despite the minor dislike she had over the extremely rude fool, there were concerns far more pressing than just engaging in some petty conversation.

And that was something that the Ancestor was fell aware about as he took a sigh and decided to not pursue more teasing.

"The thing is, little lady," He commented with a quiet hum. "That I wasn't the one to wake you up from your lovely slumber."

...What?

"You are the only one that knows where I was resting," She reminded fiercely, her tone dropping low in a cold but furious degree.

But while her face was twisted in an angry scowl, one that should have gotten some nervousness out of the irritating fool, the man merely shook his head.

"Not exactly," He admitted with a grim look on his face. "There are some strong people that could wake you up without my own knowledge… but I don't think any of them is responsible for this little unexpected event."

A confused expression replaced her hateful one, urging her to tilt her head to the side as she contemplated those words.

She wasn't… brought back to the real world by someone?

"Your words make no sense, Zelretch," The girl mentioned with a suspicious tone. "Are you trying to lie about-"

"Not in this case, no," The Wizard Marshal swiftly interrupted, his serious voice and manners looked far too genuine to be ignored for now.

Yet she couldn't help but wonder what he was referring to by mentioning the lack of external help.

There were instances where her own kin could force themselves out of their rest, mostly to deal with anything that could be considered worrying or dangerous to their people but…

She couldn't perceive anything worth of her attention.

"And before you ask, no, I don't know _why _you decided to wake up-"

"I-I didn't wake myself up!" She replied with an enraged tone. "There is no reason for me to… to be awake? Everything is fine, I can't sense anything foul and I know that Gaia-"

"Is a prissy but good peace-keeper with Alaya," The elder concluded for her in quite the deplorable display of disrespect.

Instead of continuing this blatant trap offered by the Kaleidoscope, she merely huffed.

"Since there is no reason for me to be awake, then I guess I will resume my rest," She proclaimed calmly as she turned her attention back to her seals, the one that… didn't seem to have been forced by anyone from the outside.

Actually, she could see some of her own intervention in those piece of magecraft.

A mystery that will be solved on a latter date, maybe when something serious would pop up for her to need to be awake.

Zelretch shook his head, a small smile forming on his face.

"Kind of sad, I would've loved to have you play around at Disneyland," He said with a saddened thought, shrugging as he turned around and started to walk away from her little domain. "I guess it was a misfire considering your truthfulness."

Of course she was correct! Why would she deny herself that… wait, what is Disneyland?

Before she could ask about this curious topic to the older vampire, she noticed that he had already vanished from her sight, leaving her alone in that bed of grass and flowers she had left for her soon-to-resume slumber.

Another huff and… she fell back on her soft 'bed', her eyes already closing as the seals started to carefully lull her back to her long rest and… she yawned.

What an odd circumstance, she thought dispassionate.

It would have made sense if someone had tried to wake her up, and yet Zelretch had been correct in saying that there were no traces of hindering with her work.

Her eyes closed as her mind slowly returned to a state of silence and nothingness, away from the living state that forced her to stay connected to the world.

She felt her body lightening as she let go of reality itself, surrendering to the peaceful grasp of her own mind.

_**She could already see a bright castle of white, so pure and quiet, but also so sad and lonely.**_

…

…

…

**Arcueid** blinked awake, her annoyance resurfacing mere hours later as she woke up later that day with an incredibly annoyed sensation.

_**What is going on?**_

She would ask mindlessly and, much to her minor chagrin, Zelretch wasn't there to greet her awakening, having possibly caught the gist behind her unwillingness to deal with him so early on.

Thus, despite her best wishes, the young vampire stood up once more from her resting ground and… looking around the beautiful bed she had made in this part of the world.

_**What made me wake up?**_

* * *

**AN**

**I bet someone is already writing about Arcueid being not Canon to the Fateverse ('only exceptions being her Berserker class'), but I find myself breaking some hopes and dreams by saying that she is actually canon to the Fateverse. The only thing that is different between FSN and Tsukihime is that there are no 'Dead Apostle Ancestors', but it is never stated what happened to the True Ancestors and… yes, Arc is indeed her long-haired, cute-looking chibi form.**

_**No, I'm not referring to the Neco-Arc form, that is cute too, but true chibi form is kind of cuter.**_

**She is not going to appear anytime soon after this, I just wanted to give a glimpse over some of the details of this changing world and… I think someone will be surprised when I will bring up whom is the Shiki of this universe (said question will probably be answered after the end of this first arc/segment).**

**P.S. The reason this update is happening now and not yesterday is because I got a migraine so bad yesterday that I mistook Wednesday for Tuesday, so I thought it wasn't the day for the upload. My 'big' bad, my comrades.**

**Also, I've started a Dio!Self-Insert. WRY!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Fleyja Yuki****: Many paints Gil as someone that would pursue anyone that looks like Saber. But considering that Gray is just similar-looking as Artoria, and he knows that, he has no genuine reason to try to go down that 'troublesome' effort.**

**Shadow of God****: You aren't stating anything wrong. I know that the pace is painfully slow and the reason is that I've a lot of stories up and running. If you give a look at my profile, there is literally a biweekly schedule I've made to keep up with the various fanfics I'm writing. I don't want to say that it will not become a possibility (the one where updates becomes more frequent), but I will not lift any hopes until I know for sure that I can keep up without losing interest myself and start back on some self-destructive schedule. Still, thank you for bringing up this opinion, I do find those worth of pondering and I'm glad you have brought this up to my attention.**


	27. Dagger (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Dagger (3)**

* * *

Shirou should have suspected that frequenting so regularly the park would have ended up becoming a problem for him.

He had been so unsuspecting, so easily convinced by Illya's and Caren's shared request to visit the park once again for that day that he had forgotten about the very issue that made wandering without a large group quite a dangerous feat.

It had been mostly Illya with a very curious and adorable manner to approach him early that morning with this request.

The girl had shown quite the surprising grasp of the basic Japanese language and it was Kiritsugu that ultimately admitted the reason behind such a quick learning process.

He mentioned that his late wife had studied some Japanese before they had to leave for Fuyuki and it might have happened that either his silver-haired child picked it up during those sessions or the woman merely gave some lectures to her in private.

So while both girls were quick to around the park and be children, Shirou's little hope of trying to do the same was dashed away when he found his amber eyes locking onto Kotomine's distant stare.

He was there, unarmed and without neither Rin nor Aoi.

The priest had a dull expression, his eyes lacking any emotions that could generally help and hint to the intentions behind his current presence.

It was as undecipherable as usual… yet there was something that offered him a major glimpse over the man that before had been so limited.

**Name: Kirei Kotomine (?)**

**Title: Priest of Despair (?)**

**Age: 29 (?)**

**Level: 70 (?)**

**HP : 1321/1400 (?)**

**MP : 1700 (?)**

The boy could finally see his limits now, at least the regular side of it all. There was still the 'anomalous' section that felt to him was hiding much more than these basic stats.

But why couldn't he still see it? Could it be that it is something… the Game just couldn't understand?

**And why did his HP suffered a damage when he looked fairly unscathed?**

There was no wound, no injury or even a little bruise visible in his body, but the little chance to contemplate over the matter was forcefully shattered when he made a little gesture at him.

_**Come closer.**_

He felt a shiver down his spine, his stare darting briefly to the distracted Illya and-

No, Caren had noticed too.

The girl's attention had been silently moved to the man staying by the shade of the trees, away from others' sight and then her golden eyes slowly caught up to his orbs.

What should she do about this?

A voiceless question that weighted a lot in his mind as he was put in the worst of circumstances.

While Kirei seemed to be the kind of monster that would prefer to conclude his opposition at once and without risking to make _just a victim _within the Emiya Household, he could as well plan to make some intimidation as to deter Kiritsugu from continuing with his aggressive effort against him.

It was a worrying case for sure, but one that Shirou had to carefully solve with a tactful approach.

He gave a subtle nod towards Caren, the girl's eyes showing a little disappointment that this encounter couldn't be avoided and then she moved to distract Illya while the Gamer made his way towards the patiently standing man.

The silence broke just as he finally was close enough to the priest, Kirei blinking with barely-veiled fascination over the lone presence.

"Shirou Emiya," He greeted curtly, his eyes threatening to drill holes into the redhead's face.

"Kotomine."

There was no respect towards the man, his name valid only barely compared to the maliciousness held inside his soul.

_He smiled at the lack of manners._

"I think we've never truly enjoyed a conversation between just the two of us," He pointed out with a certain restrain. "There was always someone else bringing up a certain sense of… disruption to this intriguing chance."

"What do you want?" The boy softly asked, careful enough to not press his luck any further than just his informal approach.

"People wants many things from life, Shirou-kun," The man replied with some mirthfulness dripping from his voice. "Some wants happiness, some wants to be selfishly have everything to themselves and… I want to experience the glorious instances of joy at… causing pain to people."

There was some silence, he hummed quietly as his hands reached for his hair, stroking briefly his hair before retracting.

"Has anyone ever told you that your hair just look like _blood_?" He asked with a giddy tone. "It's almost poetic how your very essence is tempered by death, that your ideals clash so well with your _**rebirth**_."

The Gamer backed away, irritation and nervousness mixing in his expression while he looked up to see Kotomine's small smile on his face.

"I'm not like you!" The boy snarled with conviction, tensing as the priest merely shrugged off his outburst with a chuckle.

"Oh, but that statement couldn't be… so much right and wrong at the same time," He calmly pointed out. "I always thought that Kiritsugu would have been the one to open my eyes to the truth of my existence, to grant me a glimpse of what could have been my life if I had tried a little more..."

He sighed, straightening his posture as he moved away, his sight directed at… Illya and Caren, both girls playing around the nearby playground.

"He failed. There was no true connection between us but the fallacious notion of similar pain," The priest admitted with a grimace. "He was so narrow-minded, so eager to blind himself with ideals to even realize that even now he is more broken than I am."

"H-He doesn't relish with violence-"

"But he does try to justify it. Always," Kirei interjected with some disappointment. "A mere human would be so horrified to take an innocent life for any reason, yet your _father _was quick to teach himself how to blame his ideals to uselessly hide the stains corroding his consciousness, his humanity."

"And you… don't."

His smile widened.

"Of course!" The man exclaimed with glee. "Why would I deny myself the pleasure of having my nature freed? To hold myself from actually trying to find my own happiness instead of building one for the sake of others' joy and ambitions?"

The redhead blinked, sporting a saddened look and… bringing confusion into Kotomine's mask.

"Because it would be the right thing-"

"But how much should I give up before I can actually feast in the boon of my hard-work?" Kirei interrupted again. "Should I perhaps perish? Or maybe there is a breaking point about it all?"

Shirou tensed up a little, an answer starting to fail there but-

"You know, I find myself envious of your origins," The priest continued with a mirthful tone. "To be granted the chance of listening to the delightful chanting of dying screams, the flames consuming slowly and gruesomely the corpses of the victims of such a disaster and-"

"S-Shut up!" The Gamer exclaimed with a certain fury. "You think you can act as if you have never experienced joy without causing pain, yet it wouldn't be humane for it to be true!"

"But what if it was?"

…

"What if I, Kirei Kotomine, represent what humans are deeply inside, some mindless monsters that just wait the right moment to 'flip the switch' and show our true natures to the world?" He pressed on with a chuckle. "What- What if I was never granted this switch because… I'm meant to show the travesty of morality."

"You are insane-"

"Or maybe I'm the one that prefers to see the truest face of reality without getting squeamish about it," He crouched down and still smiled. "Maybe, just maybe, you know this too… or else you wouldn't be having doubts about your rhetoric point."

There was just so much belief behind these words, the trust displayed towards this rotten idea.

Shirou was feeling sick at merely looking at the disgusting low that Kotomine had reached.

In his own depravity, the priest had failed to notice that he himself was trying to paint a reason behind his twisted mind and… maybe he also knew that too.

"You are wrong," The boy sighed with a tired note. "About everything. The world isn't just a pile of pain and sorrow, I-I refused to even believe that it would even exist like that."

Kirei didn't spoke, blankly allowing the redhead to continue with his speech.

"Every time I think back at the fire… every time I feel their screams filling my ears," Shirou continued to say. "I can hear only a strong instinct to make sure that this would never happen again. It was so… so unfair and unforgivable, but I couldn't have done nothing about it back then."

His eyes looked down at his hands. "But the more I think about it, the more I feel urged to grow and improve because I don't want to see it happen ever again."

"Yet you still didn't explain why-"

"I wasn't done," The boy interjected fiercely. "But I can already tell you that you have said and done more than enough to highlight how wrong you truly are."

Kirei lifted a curious eyebrow. "And that is?"

"You might be correct about the unfairness of the world, but that doesn't mean that you are right in saying that this is the only truth of mankind," The Gamer commented with determination dripping from his tone. "Men can live with love and admiration..."

_His mind brought back the last smile present on that bleeding blonde as she was beaten by her wounds in that hill of swords._

"But also with bitterness and hate-"

_The haunted stare from Kiritsugu after he had long denounced the hopes of a peaceful world._

"There is no heaven on Earth when they are first born or in their beginning years," The boy concluded with a sigh. "But everyone is entitled to create one for themselves the best way to satisfy their own wishes… until that process see the birth of sorrow and despair for others."

"But what if there is no alternative to the violence?" Kirei seemed to vibrate with his half-still posture, but Shirou was no longer afraid of the man.

Something just… told him that there was just curiosity driving him for this unexpected visit.

"Then you have not searched well enough," The young Emiya replied without hesitation. "But I think your chance to find real happiness has long been denied by yourself because… you were afraid."

…

"You were looking at Caren with hesitation back when you first saw her," The Gamer continued. "And just a few moments ago, you were staring at her as if you were somewhat threatened by her."

"Ah!" The priest almost snorted at the comment he felt as mocking of him. "As if I would be afraid of a child."

"That's why I don't believe it was fear of her that gets you this unnerved," Shirou interjected with his eyes narrowed at the man. "You are afraid… of what you could do to her."

Kotomine went still just in that very moment, his eyes going wide open at the words from the boy and… he took a step back.

"I'm just waiting a proper moment to strike," He hummed in annoyance. "To think I would have seen some enlightenment from this discussion-"

"What would be the 'breaking point' then?" The redhead pressed on, stopping the priest on his tracks. "You might try to delve in that monstrous side of yourself, but to embrace it as your only face would be lying to yourself-"

"Enough!"

The outburst silenced Shirou and the boy's eyes widened as he stared at the livid expression on Kirei's face.

"I think that this is… **Enough**."

The man turned around and started to walk away. "Truly a disappointing effort."

His words were denying the suggestion advanced by the boy, but Shirou could see his right hand reaching for his chest… as if he was having some pain from within.

**HP : 1244/1400 (?)**

* * *

**~Waver's POV~**

To think that he would have been forced to deal with this kind of predicaments this soon in the recent agreement and… with such a confusing assistant to that, a certain young Magus would have thought it better rather than approach the Magus Killer.

Kiritsugu had been quite sudden to ask to have a private chat with after Shirou had left with the young girls that were living in this house, but the reason behind such an immediate request was quickly unveiled as his first important mission was there for him to successfully complete.

Or to horribly fail if he messed up the particularly difficult steps ahead of the plan.

Having set numerous minor boundary fields, these spells so weak to be noticed by a novice Magus, Kiritsugu had prepared himself to act right as Kotomine decided to leave the current whereabouts of what was left of the Tohsaka Clan.

Once the priest was away from the woman and her daughter, most of the obstacles were removed for them to try and capture the remaining members of the family away from Kirei's clutches.

A risky operation that would see him take the leading spot, followed by the unexpected support made by the currently nervous-looking girl slowly following him around.

Gray was… an oddity.

Her face was the same as Saber's and yet her personality dominated by a shy thought compared to the brave and serious-sounding woman that fought as a Servant during the last Holy Grail War.

The only quality that he could right now appreciate was that she was very fluent in English as she had been living for most of her life in the United Kingdom.

It offered him the means to let go of the stress that he would get by speaking strictly Japanese and make use of his main language after so long.

There was some understanding with the young woman, her helpfulness being fairly limited but still something noticeable as she agreed to carry one of the two bags with the tools required in this 'totally-legal' kidnapping.

They were doing something good after all. Trying to get two individuals away from the devious plans set by the insane priest that was Kirei Kotomine and… maybe get them to avoid dealing with a bored… golden bastard.

It was a possibility, a slim chance that the Archer Servant would be wandering around and doing the job of guarding dog- but of course the golden prick wouldn't be trying to lower himself to that degree.

_**He was the one leading and Kotomine was his puppet, just like it had been back during the War.**_

The former Master of Assassin had completely submitted to the King of Heroes, accepting his authority out of fear rather than true loyalty.

Something that Iskandar had mentioned and-

No, no more thinking about that insufferable, always-smiling… fool of a king.

Waver took a sigh to restrain his breathing from accelerating, yet the action caused the girl following him close behind to frown.

"I-Is everything alright, sir?" Gray asked politely, holding with one of her hands the bag containing some emergency 'explosive spells' that Kiritsugu had left for them to use in case stuff went downhill, while the other was busy holding the strange staff which ended with a strange cage with a… small box inside.

Said box could speak and… it was best to not address the comments coming from it.

"Only thinking about… _nothing_," He smoothly replied, glancing back at the embarrassed look on her face. "You should focus on the mission."

She gave a quick nod while the box let out a chuckle at this scene. "Ah, to think you are trying to bottle up your issues here, boy. I wonder what kind of- UhahahaAHAH, S-S-STOP!"

The silver-haired girl gave a few more shakes of the cage before calming down.

"Y-you shouldn't disrespect Mr. Velvet, Add."

The dark-haired Magus sighed, his attention still directed at the close building which the Tohsaka's family, or what was left of it, was currently staying by.

The place was moderately guarded by the few servants still working for the family and that were kept around by Kirei to 'assist' the widowed wife of the late Tokiomi Tohsaka.

Entering through the gates proved to be the easiest of tasks with the use of careful magecraft to simulate a lockpick and the next one, which was entering inside the house, proved to be possibly one of the more difficult ones.

There were barely any windows to reach through and the main door was the only way to enter inside… while also getting the attention of all those working within the building.

The umpteenth sigh was a must, but Waver was not going to dismiss the chances of opening the door softly by… resorting to normal lockpicks.

The Magus Killer had packed some of the regular ones in one of the bags in case there was a need to force some lock in a more silent approach than the louder magecraft way.

It was just like the spy movies Otoko had spoken about, those were some British spy would manage to tactfully and smoothly infiltrate the evil lair of the main villain.

But while depiction of such a practice wasn't something brought up by her retelling, it wasn't surely going to be a feat more difficult that the spell he had just used.

And as he proceeded to try his hand out with his first attempt at lockpicking, the young Magus failed to notice Gray's shy efforts to try and help over the matter.

"Uh… Sir?"

_Okay, I push this inside and I slowly rotate it until- _Crack _-damn._

Retreating the small bar, the broken piece fell on the ground in a silent thud.

Waver stared with narrow eyes at the broken thing, pondering over what could have gone wrong before picking one of the multiple remaining lockpicks and continuing with this task.

"I- I think that I-"

Crack.

He huffed briefly as he fetched the third lockpick and-

"S-Sir!"

He tensed up and paused, the young man glancing back at the red-faced girl behind him.

"What?"

"I-I think I can do it."

He frowned skeptically at her response but… considering the number of lockpicks available to them, it was possibly better to leave the silly girl try and fail on her own instead of halting the process for too much and-

_Knock_.

Uh?

The young man snapped his attention at Gray as she happily retrieved the unscathed lockpick from the lock of the now-open.

Her attempt had been quick, silent and, mostly-important, a damaging effort to his pride as a 'good spy'.

"Done and-" Her giddiness evapored as she remembered where she was and squirmed a little. "I-I mean-"

"Good job," Waver replied curtly, unwilling to let the younger countrywoman bask in too much praise as the time was indeed limited for them to act.

He carefully pushed the door open, taking once more the lead as he started to look around the narrow corridor that led right to… the living room?

Taking the first step inside, the young Magus slowly made his way towards the end of the hallways, meticulously glancing around every spot and corner for any ambushes.

His ears were fully attentive, trying to catch any dangerous noises that could entail some issues for their subtle approach.

But there was not a single noise.

Utter silence was domineering over the oddly cold corridor and just a glimpse of warm seemed to come from the room at the end of it.

The door was half-shut, and Waver didn't wait too long in carefully opening it and glance inside the new place.

His eyes widened when he noticed the various bodies littering the floor, every single one of those being the ones of the various servants still working for the household.

He froze up, panic rising in his chest at the thought he had just walked in the scene of a mass-murder… but then blinked and relaxed as he realized that they were all breathing as their chests and backs were moving.

Yet he wasn't completely calm, not at all.

The scene itself was still worth of some major concerns, especially since he could now see the wheelchair used by the old Tohsaka was also boarded by a sleeping dark-haired child resting her head on her mother's chest.

Finally, he noticed the glass of wine that was being held by someone occupying one of the two couches in front of the still-going fireplace.

The glass reflected just the eyes of the hand's owner and Waver felt his hatred emerging in a furious snarl on his face.

"Y-you!"

A smirk flashed from the reflection, the King of Heroes didn't even bother to turn and face the two intruders as he gloated over the circumstance.

"Waver Velvet," He muttered quietly, taking a moment to sip at his glass. "I see that you have decided to remain here for the time being."

"Y-You- Why would you-"

"Kirei is starting to lose himself to the oddly-shaped paradox within his chest," Gilgamesh commented with a degree of disdain, ignoring the words of the young Magus. "He is a ticking bomb that will best explode far away from my chances of drawing further entertainment from this curious situation."

The golden-haired Servant's smile froze a little as his red eyes turned to look at the young girl trying to hide behind the angry-looking young man.

"And I'm incredibly fascinated by the presence of one of _her _descendants so close to where she fought her last war," The Archer mused with some intriguing words. "Makes me wonder what would have happened if I had a descendant."

"The worlds lives best with just a simple prick of your caliber."

Gray gasped in surprise at the heated response of the Magus, quite surprised by this outburst after seeing him so much… restrained with his manners in all situations.

"But they wouldn't have been close to my greatness," He hummed quietly, once again ignoring the insult. "It would have been… interesting, but not as endearing as to see the scene of _her _meeting with the young shy girl behind you, mongrel."

There was a pause that lasted several seconds before ultimately the King of Heroes sighed.

"You may take the woman and the child away from this place," Gilgamesh said with a bored tone. "Kirei is on his way back to the house and his irritated self might have him make some _rash _actions that I don't find… acceptable."

"Why don't you just kill him if he is of no use for you?" Waver asked with a stern voice. "If Kotomine is going to become a liability, then why not-"

"_**Would you have stopped your Servant from rushing to his rightful demise against me?**_"

…

"While you consider yourself to stand in that pitiful _**moral high ground**_, you are still the little mongrel that was afraid of even going after one of the Masters during the War," The golden-haired young man pointed out. "Rider perished doing whatever foolish ideal he had about life, and I decided for Kirei to follow a close but more _acceptable _death compared to your former Servant."

_Was he planning of getting rid of Kotomine?- no, there has to be something else going on._

"What do you mean with-"

"Kirei will be back in ten minutes from now," Gilgamesh said while sighing again. "If you continue with this petulant questioning, I will be more than happy to bring both you, the girl and the fools in this rooms to a quick demise instead of accepting this annoyance."

The priest… was coming? That was incredibly bad, but at least they could move both Tohsaka members without dealing with restraining them.

"Gray, stand by the main entrance," Waver ordered with a certain dread in his words. "I will take the wheelchair and… we are leaving."

Blue eyes widened at the order and the girl initially stood still to let the statement sink in before actually complying and moving to stand by the main door at the other end of the corridor.

The young Magus was still cautious as he carefully moved around the various unconscious servants to pick the wheelchair, turning around and making his way back to the door while minding once more the presence of the people sleeping on the floor.

Gilgamesh was silent, completely immersed in glancing the flames coming from the fireplace while sipping from his half-empty glass but still thinking about what was going to happen from now on.

To think that the little subtle attempt to see Kotomine's true self would end up creating this odd circumstance…

What an odd thing to see a man fight the duality of his rare nature, to see him clash against the approaching end and to… see him fail before the unfairness of his painful life.

He took another sip, a small smile appearing on his face.

_**How fascinating that Shirou Emiya will have to lose something of himself in that very battle.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Kirei is starting to break apart and Gilgamesh's prophecy is… ominous.**

**What I can say about it all? Prepare for a shocker that not even Gil is prepared for!**

**Lastly, two quick updates: I've started recently… three stories! **  
**The first one is another rewrite of one of my old FSN stories, Tale of Two Kings Redux is now available for everyone to read.**  
**Same for Absolute Divinity, the first DIO SI ever! (Yes, JoJo Si with Phantom Blood Dio starting from Ep1!);**  
**Final story is for those that knows and read my 'The Golden Month' story as it's set in the same universe… but in a completely different circumstance. Learning: Affection is set in a university-like situation and boi, oh boi, prepare for some crazy situations in this story, from drama, to mystery and… romance?**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Battlesny****: Arcueid is actually canon in the Fateverse, it's just that she never woke up to deal with Michael Roa Valdamjong as he was killed by Edmond Dantes (thus why Arc is a chibi); Caren is canon but she appears in FHA which isn't considered canon… but she also appears in other stories like Prillya, Capsule Servant (as Little Caren) and Fate/Koha-Ace (As Caren Kotomine).**

**Rider126****: Something something a gift that wasn't a gift.**

**Felyja Yuki****: I've written that I wouldn't be having ID creation skill many chapters ago. The reason why is mostly because I don't want to create odd and disruptive Time-Skips that would ruin the plot's pacing altogether.**

**Kamen rider****: Probably… just not until after Arc 2.**


	28. Interlude - Kirei

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Interlude 3 – Kirei**

* * *

It would soon start to rain.

Normally, this wouldn't be much of an issue for Kirei Kotomine.

The man didn't care about the weather, he didn't care for the inconsequential.

Yet now he was pondering over something so insignificant but calming.

Rain was simple to understand, it was a logical phenomenon that his mind could easily decipher from the mere happening.

It was distracting, it was soothing.

And he needed to take some proper rest now that he was back at his hideout.

The little mansion that was primarily used to keep around the two last members of the Tohsaka Clan.

A crippled woman and an infuriatingly-annoying but amusingly-naive little girl.

In a common instance, interacting with them would have been enough to keep at bay the urge of studying what was happening inside his chest.

The pain was confusing, unique to the vast range of harm the priest had come in contact with during his activity as an Executor.

It was inner, it was beyond the physical, and the abstract nature of this predicament did nothing to cease the growing migraine that latched onto his aching heart.

He would be lying in saying even to himself that this was acceptable as a predicament, just as it has been in the last few years.

Kirei had been 'blessed' when the corrupted mud had reached for his dying body, providing him with a second chance to wander in the realm of the living once again.

It wasn't a resurrection, no. It was worse than that.

His twisted creativity was given free rein over the world around him, his hand given the chances of meddling in every open chance he had in this city as an agent of Chaos.

The first time he met with the mysterious being that lingered within the Grail, he had thought of him as a cursed creature.

A crooked figure, a fiend that many could easily connect to the Devil or any other Hell-spawns with the same evil inside their hearts.

Angra Mainyu, one of the forgotten 'Gods' of antiquity.

It would be wrong to define the being as a deity, as his realm far stretched beyond the limitations imposed to those who were once leading the past religions.

In fact, the dream in which the demon decided to manifest in proved the incredible power hidden behind the fragility of humanity.

That's how he had ultimately 'won' the Third Holy Grail War.

He didn't care for the Grail itself, for he knew that it wouldn't have granted him the truest wish he craved for.

But that didn't deter Avenger to still play around, acting like an easy-to-kill fool to the eyes of the other Servants.

A trick within the useless puppet. A trap that had been so quickly sprung without hesitation by those that got the 'best of him'.

The key was the limitation he had been suffering as a Servant, the restriction that kept him from making use of his fullest capacity to act and meddle in mortals' lives.

The fiend was known as the eternal enemy to Spenta Maninyu, the Holy Spirit of the Zoroastrian religion.

…

It was ironic.

The priest had almost chuckled as he had delved quietly over this topic, discovering how amusing the unbalanced state of things was.

For a man of faith, to be forsaken by his God… only to be mercifully restored to life by what was once his prime enemy.

And in that dream, the creature had spoke to him the prettiest of words.

It was a mess of animal-parts, a monstrous combination of human and inhuman that morphed continuously in the priest's mind because of how complex the spirit truly was.

Four words were pronounced, a curt sentence that opened a strange world to his worldly perception.

**Go forth, my puppet.**

It was so exhaustive of the real nature of the gift given to Kirei, the drawback of being returned to life.

Despite it was his wish to maim people, the maliciousness within his new heart heightened his craving to a degree that he himself considered self-destructive.

His careful planning, his patient waiting. Those were all meant to give him the chance of enjoying some delightful torture without having to face consequences as big as he was now dealing with.

Shirou Emiya was a fascinating individual, there was no doubt about it, but to go as far as expose himself so suddenly and without restrain?

It was indecorous for an experienced Executor to act this recklessly before a new element in the zone they worked by.

To be this much inattentive and brash over the importance of studying their enemies…

This trail of thoughts was slowly turning into something that Kirei knew full well.

The condescending voice of his father when he first experienced some issues back in Rome, trying to study the complicated structure of the strict school he had been sent to deal with.

A young Japanese-born student facing the dreadful problem that was the language barrier.

Bullies were a rarity in catechisms, but there were some interesting fellows that were keen to mock his accent, to diminish his prodigious intelligence over things that they were limited to accomplish.

Envy was a terrible sin for someone as young and impressionable as the young children targeting him, but one that wasn't easy to recognize for the teachers or the other members of the church.

Sadly enough, this very experience happened years before he started to understand the importance of displaying some proper 'persuasions' to avoid dealing with annoyances.

And Risei Kotomine hadn't cared much for his plight.

Promises had been made, but nothing had been truly done about that specific subject.

Instead, Kirei was forced to endure the brunt of those attacks, only a handful of those turning physical.

But maybe now he was digressing, as his focus was meant to be about the plight afflicting him even now that made the last steps to reach his closest safe-zone.

Or perhaps he wasn't.

It was a hunch, a small one, but still enough to get him to pause away from his pain and right at the cause of this sudden panic that had crippled his means to properly think.

He had long thought that Kiritsugu Emiya would have softened up after finding out that his ideals didn't fit with the way the world truly worked.

Shattering his dreams had been the least that Kirei's _Pyrrhic Victory _had achieved, as the death of Irisviel von Einzbern and the failure of Saber's Master to properly secure the Einzbern's wish both had left the Magus Killer in a sorry state.

He had been so sloppy in his recent activities, especially when he damaged the leylines connected to the Greater Grail all in the high hope of disrupting any opportunity for the competition to return once more.

_A fool's play, one that Kotomine had noticed with a gleeful but curious eyes._

The setback proved to be a boon for Kiritsugu's plans had backfired in quite the horrible manner.

The Grail was operative, and the attempted destruction of the leylines had activated some emergency reserved that had swiftly fasten up the process of recharge for the artifact.

If his estimations were correct, the Fifth Holy Grail War was going to happen in around a decade from now.

Not that the detail truly helped him, considering how everything was starting to shake around with the setting he had tried to maintain after the Fourth War now starting to crumble before him.

The Magus Killer had gone as far as return the favor for what Kirei had done in the last hours of the War.

The words shared with Irisviel von Einzbern, the Fourth Einzbern Lesser Grail proving to give him some interesting ideas over the mysterious mind owned by her husband.

Maybe she had known much more about him, maybe it would have been worth enough to wait through her venomous comments instead of rushing to snap her neck.

Patience had eluded him in that state of depravity, the bravado leading him right to a formal defeat against his 'enemy'.

And now he was forced to think how to truly deal with Caren Hortensia.

He just refused to address her as his daughter, thinking her more as the pitiful result of a tragic relationship he had shared with Claudia Hortensia.

The woman that had gone as far as kill herself to try and bring out his inner self, succeeding only partially with her extreme action.

But Claudia wasn't Caren… and Caren wasn't Kirei.

This last bit had been repeating in his head so vehemently ever since he had spot her around, his thoughts clashing over to deal with such a fascinating little girl.

Should he try to raise her hopes with the chance of a proper family before killing her with a sickening decapitation?

Or maybe a more direct but slower death by torture would have been the best choice.

So confused, yet also so reluctant to go through with it.

Shirou Emiya's words resonated a bitter taste in his tongue, his brain lamenting the disgusting interaction he had been subjected to.

What a stupid joke, to even think that he was actually minding for his da-_Caren's _well-being.

At first sight he thought it had been her resemblance to his late wife that caused his murderous resolve to falter to stillness.

The child was a younger version of the woman, but instead of the sweet stares she would earnestly bestow to him even before their official commitment to marriage, the young girl was prone to display him scowls and dissatisfaction.

There was fear, but nothing was about self-preservation.

It had been when the young Emiya had been in his general proximity, close enough for the priest to act and slaughter the impertinent redhead as he foolishly sprouted about the false about the reasoning behind his reluctance.

Because while there was no true emotional connection between the two, the Kotomine's issue stemmed from the eyes that had for so long kept him unnerved about the girl.

While the eye-color was the same as her mother, Caren's haunting stare was… Kirei's.

It was the same he used to show around when he was but a young child, left alone to face the troublesome life of having his ambitious father.

There was that malicious glint, there was no doubt about it in his mind.

But it was diluted, more than halved by the lack of unfair experiences that the girl had to experience since she was too young.

...And Kirei was almost relieved by that.

To have a copy of himself, albeit a younger and naiver one would have been problematic to him in the long-run.

The priest continued to muse about these topics even as he entered the mansion, his mind slowly pulling away from his thoughts as he noticed that something was… wrong about the entrance.

The door was almost closed shut, but it wasn't locked as a mere push of his left hand got it to make way to the inside of the home.

His eyes narrowed and his posture tensed in minor dread about the matter.

The pain he was still feeling even now gave him the strong push he needed to be careful as he delved through the lone corridor that led to the main living room.

The fireplace was still working as licks of fire consumed the wood recently placed there, giving a sense of warmth that was almost _enchanted by the present of numerous sleeping servants littering the floor._

He blinked, his mind buzzing with activity as he thought about the curious instance he had just stumbled in.

A kidnapping from Kiritsugu Emiya? Highly improbable since the servants weren't dead.

The Magus Killer had a rigorous and pragmatic approach to this specific kind of action, knowing perfectly that leaving witnesses was tantamount to a complete failure for any mission.

Which meant that the responsible ones had to be someone he had missed, people that had knowledge of magecraft and about the Tohsaka Clan.

It was difficult to see mercenaries being sent to retrieve what remained of the family, especially with how confused the entire Association was about what happened with the Holy Grail War.

And uncertainty meant inaction from them, at least in such a direct manner.

While the priest continued to study the scene of the crime, his attention was taken by a certain blond-haired young man humming as he walked to one of the couches staring right at the fireside with a glass of wine in his hand.

Gilgamesh barely stopped to notice the new presence, his red eyes glinting something… amusing about the scene he was walking into.

The Servant didn't deign him any word, but the calm silence was enough to provide Kirei with the answer he was seeking.

His lips twitched in a brief scowl as he paced away from the sight, reaching for the closest bathroom as the pain within his chest was rising together with his own anger.

He couldn't afford it, he just couldn't.

His breath turned raspy, his lungs itching infuriatingly as he reached for the medical box set to the door's side.

His hands were trembling, yet the priest quickly found the small bottle with painkillers and was swift to down four small pills before finally being granted some lucidity from that outburst.

Gasping for air, his mouth opened to let in all of that oxygen that waited to fill his lungs, and his hands pressed on his chest as he tried to normalize his aching heartbeat.

Things were rushing out of control and he should have expected Gilgamesh to move now that things were well set for the Kotomine's defeat.

It wasn't truly proclaimed, but did the King of Heroes even need to proclaim the cessation of their contract?

Not truly, no. In fact, it was odd as to why he had waited for so long since he had discovered Shirou Emiya.

Despite the body granted by Angra Mainyu, the Archer was far more resilient to the influence of the corruption, his soul donning a state of pseudo-divinity that long transcended any mortals walking in this world.

The blond could afford to oppose the Malignant Spirit, but to accomplish true freedom he required the energy from someone to sustain himself in the realm of reality.

It was no secret that Gaia was actively on the pursuit of erasing Servants from Earth, labeling them as errors and glitches that needed to be fixed.

And thus why Servants needed Masters to live, even though there was no Holy Grail War happening.

Kirei blinked, his attention turning away from the little detail and back on the pressing issue.

He had lost his last two pieces, and as far as he was concerned there was no way for him to avoid the harm that was planned to come his way.

…

But what if he could just… delay the inevitable?

Right now the situation was bad, but maybe by giving it time and context, a solution was reachable.

A solution that didn't saw him killed, of course.

And he needed a distraction to accomplish this feat.

Fuyuki wasn't certainly a place devoid of horrible fiends that could be thrown at the Magus Killer, and Kirei didn't waste time to consider Zouken as the prime individual to use as a me-_worms-shield_.

The old man had already caught the Emiya's interest in the past as Kiritsugu had studied the files about Kariya Matou when he revealed himself during the Holy Grail War.

But the files were of course limited since the man had long avoided making contacts with his ancestral home and preferring the mundane nature of the world to the magical knowledge bestowed by the former Makiri.

It wouldn't be that difficult to create the Casus Belli, to push Zouken to make a 'tiny mistake' and show himself to the one that would push the Magus Killer to turn his attention away from the priest.

_**Yes, Shirou Emiya will be the key for his survival!**_

* * *

**AN**

**So, this is an interlude. Albeit not a full chapter, it pushes the story right into a good problem.**

**Zouken is still around and that ain't good for anyone.**

**Kirei knows this, Kiritsugu knows this… and Shirou is going to learn about this very soon.**

**The Gamer himself will not ignore the plight from someone younger than him stuck in the worst situation possible… while also dealing with quite the bratty boy living in the same house.**

**Why Kirei thinks this will work? There is something that makes him important enough to be kept alive, enough to make him essential for what is supposed to happen fairly soon.**

**Lastly, I decided to start reworking on another old Fate story. Fate/Last Heaven (Redux for FFN) is now out and boy, oh boy, the sass is tripled, the explosive factor has been augmented exponentially and there is a high chance of having some cracking fun with some of the most beloved (and not) characters from this franchise. And… Illya Route?**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Kamen rider****: For now no harem since he is a kid. But it will be an interest mean to bring up the emotional duress everyone is facing when the 'time to grow up' comes. (and by that I mean getting more mature, nothing truly NSFW).**

**Guest (Chapter 15)****: Yep, I hope you are doing well with what is going on right now here in our nation.**

**Ragna****: Mistakes were made, I will pull an 'Isaac' to repent for my sins. xD**


	29. Dagger (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Dagger (4)**

* * *

There was just so much that was happening all at once as lunch came to a chaotic end.

With his nerves already steeled after the encounter he had incurred with Kotomine, Shirou was legitimately attentive to anything that could easily turn out to be any sign of an eventual ambush or attack from the priest.

Despite the eerily calm perception of the situation with the priest, there was that itchy thought that made him consider the eventuality that the man might end up deciding without any notice.

It could happen, he had seen it in his eyes how desperate the creepy individual was starting to get just from a mere discussion. He didn't frighten him, the young Emiya was perfectly aware that it was the very nature of the dangerous man that got his own person scared of what was happening.

But fear was a powerful instrument when offered to some people, with the redhead being incredibly conscious of what fear tasted like and the kind of absurd deed that could be done with just a taste of it.

...Yet the issue he was facing as of now wasn't related to Kotomine, but rather it was connected to his adoptive guardian.

The Gamer had felt that something was off the moment he noticed how tense Kiritsugu was while sitting by the table, the man's posture just hinting that there was something off about the simple-looking lunch while he quietly took bites with his forks out of the cooked steak.

That very simple detail, coupled with the fact that both Waver and Gray hadn't been there in the household when the redhead had returned home with Illya and Caren, was more than enough to put the Gamer in a state of unprecedented unease.

Until it had been only himself to risk some pain or horrible fate, things had been somehow easy to face. He had the means to overcome many dreadful obstacles along his path, and the Game offered just plenty of opportunities to survive all of those without suffering too much from those.

But Gray didn't have that ability, and the same was for Waver.

The silver-haired girl was still training up to get better in using the weapon form allowed by Add, the strange box having offered plenty of advice with his annoying quips, but she was far from even getting close to achieve a sufficient state of fighting capability.

Speaking of the English-born visitor that had been taken in by Kiritsugu, Shirou couldn't help but see that there was just something off about this individual.

Not only the young man was incredibly reclusive when speaking with people, restraining himself from showing too much interest in discussions that weren't together with the older Emiya and…

That was incredibly odd.

Especially with how nervous Waver seemed to become once he was forced in a conversation by the former mercenary.

Their understanding was as mysterious as 'wrong', there was just so much strangeness in their relationship that Shirou couldn't help but just look cautiously at this new situation unfolding.

**Observe **had offered him just a little info that helped explaining the full extent of the correlation between the two, yet there was one thing that the Gamer had learned out of that predicament as he was aware of a very peculiar detail he had missed early on.

Waver was a Magus and… he had been there in Fuyuki Town for some time now.

While this detail shouldn't truly open up to much suspicion towards his person as there were plenty of foreign people coming to visit the city to have some nice holidays away from their homes, the issue was more connected to the reason behind his presence in town.

The Holy Grail War had been a competition that was meant to be partaken by Magi, and it wouldn't be completely far-fetched to see this being the prime reason for the young man having come here in this part of Japan.

Yet it didn't explain why Kiritsugu would have been so keen to keep the foreign Magus if they had been somehow competing one against the other.

Why?

The simple but repeating question that kept the boy on edge for the entire duration of the lunch, despite all the funny efforts created by many of the individuals living in the house.

Illya was adorable, especially with the playful bickering she seemed to be endeared by when talking with Caren.

With the Einzbern being the oldest, it was always comical to see both girls butt heads over a topic or another, especially with how mature the Italian girl was over some of the subjects brought up.

Some of the stern teaching from the catechism had stuck around in Caren's perspective of amusing things, urging her to sometime deflate the red-eyed child with dry retorts and from there the two would begin exchanging some interesting replies, never exceeding towards anything of a big insult to the other.

The little bickering was adorable, but there was a surprising lack of loud voices right now as… Taiga wasn't there.

The young woman had been forced to the event because her grandfather had required her presence back home, something about an important talk he wanted to have with the brunette. Which was as surprising as unexpected considering how much of a pushover Raiga was about his granddaughter.

But the madness was far from being over with just the two pale-haired girls, as there was quite the quarrel between the two 'twin' maids.

With Leysritt continuing to behave as lazily as usual, her flat comments about the food were quick to stir a fiery reaction from Sella about the matter, the serious woman pointing out how that should have been the result of their combined efforts and, just like usual, it was all only her labor.

As the reprimanding intensified, Liz decided to appear as much distracted as she could, with her eyes looking away from what was happening.

But as entertaining this all was proving to be and how unusually normal this was all starting to become in his life, Shirou's mind was still set on the troublesome thoughts over Gray's and Waver's well-being.

No matter the distractions, concern had now settled deeply in his mind and he couldn't just ignore it so easily

It would take about half an hour to finally see the two finally make a safe return home… with two more individuals on tow.

It had been the loud noises accompanying their footsteps. The familiar sound of the wheels of a wheelchair moving around the soft texture of the wood that ultimately gave away the fact that the two had brought two familiar faces out of their homes.

Kiritsugu had been fairly distant from where the red-haired child had been sitting by the table, thus rendered unable to prevent the boy from reaching out for the door of the living room that was connected to the entrance and from seeing that there was truly an odd scene unfolding on the other side of that barrier.

Gray almost jumped in sudden fright at the noise of the door opening right beside her, and her eyes went wide open in shock at the scare before those settled their sight onto Shirou's form and relax a little bit from her stance.

Waver merely tensed up at the sound, but the serious look still plastered on his face was still there as he did his best to keep up well enough with the current task, making sure that he didn't mess up with his current actions which was related to the wheelchair he was pushing around.

Aoi's sleeping face was the first thing that made the Gamer understand the kind of situation that was unfolding, his entire body tensing up in a mix of surprise and utter confusion at her current presence her and… he thought back about Kiritsugu's ominous words about the matter.

Before he could press for more information about this circumstance by asking Gray, his attention was fully captured when he felt a pair of small arms suddenly wrap around his neck and a weight pushed straight onto his chest.

Shirou tripped backward, surprise hinted by his panicky eyes as he finally landed on the ground and realized what caused this sudden development.

"Emiya-kun!"

Long, dark hair coming from one of Rin's twin-tailed comb momentarily covered his face, hindering his capacity to reply.

The girl was shivering, her face drown in his shoulder as she tried to make sense of what was going on considering that she had just woken up mere moments ago.

At the sight of the first familiar face, the terrified child did the best thing she could afford to do in that moment of uncertainty and confusion.

Shirou groaned a little, suffering some damage from tripping, but nothing even so remotely dangerous.

Yet it was just as he stood up slowly, trying to pull himself up with the girl still grasping at him so desperately, that the entire room behind him exploded in loud voices and noises.

"Rin-chan?" Illya was the first one to call out what was happening, with the Gamer falling back in the living room and revealing what was going on.

What followed could be described as something that Shirou had long started to grow accustomed to.

While it wasn't a full-fledged dogpile, the rest of the girls had rushed to see what was going and soon he was stormed with numerous worried questions about what was going on.

This kind of distraction was then increased with the young Tohsaka latching so stubbornly by his chest at the sudden increase of noises all around her.

The situation was indeed escalating beyond normal diplomacy, and soon the young Emiya was overwhelmed by the sheer noisiness of the people all around him, trying to either help him or get to talk with Rin.

And with the young Gamer distracted by the horde of worried individuals, Kiritsugu stood up from his seat and looked up at Waver. The two shared a serious look, then the Magus Killer settled his stare back at the sleeping Aoi as she was still resting on her chair.

His mind burned a little at the fact that he was lookijng at the wife of one of the former contenders of the Fourth Holy Grail War that he had to fought, remembering Tokiomi Tohsaka as the incompetent Master that let Gilgamesh easily manipulate Kotomine to betray his own teacher and father.

The fact that there were no signs of any major fighting on both the young Magus and the Saber-alike girl was also a reason to be incredibly concerned about how things had gone by.

The man had expected at least some cuts, perhaps some shredded bits of clothes considering whom they might have encountered in that visit. And yet there was nothing of that sort in display.

A deal of sort? Only a direct conversation, away from the ears of those that weren't ready for this kind of conflict, would solve most of his queries.

_**And that what he was going to get as quickly as possible.**_

* * *

**~Rin's POV~**

If there was something that the young Tohsaka had long learned to despise the most, it was the incredible dread that followed awakening in a new place.

This kind of fear hadn't been there for too long as it was conceived when she ended up kidnapped by a very horrible person that was hurting children.

She could remember the horrible smell, the stained sheets and the tension that had riddled her determination as she took her friend out of that terrible room in the sewers.

It had been an experienced that had seen her open her eyes over the unfair developments of life, how it was easy for someone to be abducted without any major reason… other than being young.

It hadn't been an action motivated by some vengeful Magus, nor it had been some political-created situation like the stories her father had started to describe to her when she started to work on her magecraft.

Exceeding the known, the dark-haired girl was given glimpse of what Magi were supposed to work on a daily basis.

The unknown was scary, there was no way to soften up the traumatic predicament that saw her accept eagerly the need of staying close of her mother when the Holy Grail War came to an end.

Despite the troublesome disposition of her remaining parent, Rin had earnestly kept around the woman instead of offering any trust to the strange-looking Kirei Kotomine.

She remembered first seeing him, the lack of compassion appearing to be just some adult-based annoyance towards children…

How wrong she had been.

Shirou had been as honest as he could get once things had settled down and they all had moved to his room, with only her mother being left to the care of 'Waver' and the boy's father, and the tale he had given her leaving quite the bitterness over some of her past memories.

The realization had been chilling, her shivers had resumed despite the warmth coming from the blankets offered by the girls as the redhead had explained what he knew about the fake priest.

And how fake the priest was.

There was no niceness, there was no real regret in the loss of her father. Kirei Kotomine… was a monster, and the more she learned about the extent of his malicious intents the more her stomach churned in disgust.

How dreadful, how scandalous- HOW UNFAIR!

Anger had mixed well with her fear, a strange concoction of motivated fury with one conceived out of ignorance over the crescendo of revelations she was subjected with.

There was some mindfulness in giving out the details, yet the honesty rendered it all a sour bite to chew down.

She had for so long blamed some mysterious figure for killing her father, when the real responsible for her family's downfall had been so close to them for so long.

'Helping' them while sowing the seeds of brief trust and genuineness.

It was aggravating, it was something that got her anger to stir to an incensed level.

And Rin couldn't just lash out so suddenly and without a proper target.

Everyone here was nice, even that creepy father that Shirou had and… that was hurting her.

It was aching, it was a hollow pain that kept her from even crying at everything that was crumbling upon her previous understanding of things.

Anger turned into hurt, hurt turned into more anger.

It was an unpleasant cycle, yet it continued to linger about for the rest of the day even when she found solace in the company of so many nice people.

She was finally allowed to see her mother and the woman looked to be fine now that she was awake. There wasn't much of an improvement since the last few days, yet Shirou's presence and words seemed to further bring out some new vitality out of her previously-lethargic state.

A strange phenomenon, something that was as endearing as confusing, but it was still good progress that would hopefully see her mother revert back to her normal self.

And when that would end up happening, the first time Rin would ask from her will be a hug. A long one.

She needed it. They both needed it, especially since her father was no longer there to give her some guidance.

Now the dynamics of the world around the girl had changed, no longer she could trust adults like Kirei and… that meant relying much more on the very person that had been there to offer her someone to hug without whining too much about it.

Shirou was a boy, but not one of the ones she had met in the past.

Boys normally had cooties, Kotone had told her that, yet that notion seemed to not be connected with the redhead.

He was nice, he listened, and talked back to her. He wasn't overly attached to any boyish activities, and he did care for her issues.

Same for the other girls, especially Caren and Gray. Illya was a little bit difficult to understand with how eccentric the older child was, but compared to Fujimura-san, the German girl was at least bearable in every situation.

It was a fresher life, but one that hopefully lacked any of the gloom and unpleasantness that had been since the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

There was space to rest, time to think, and the means to achieve some peaceful quietness without having to imagine some sudden scare from the priest.

She was freer, but at what cost?

Kirei wouldn't just let go without biting back, like a dog that was deprived of his chewtoy.

A cruel man, a horrible individual that deserved the worst for his responsibility of killing her father, of having crippled her family's economy and… for having tried to hurt her mother.

To even consider that the priest had planned to do something to her mom, perhaps even to herself, for the reason of having some compliant hostages for an eventual clash between him and Shirou's father- her mind was bubbling in hatred.

The 'Magus Killer' title had been repeated on numerous occasion by her father in an unpleasant voice, disdain dripping from the words correlated with such an individual, but then again her dad had also trusted Kirei to be a good apprentice.

Perhaps there was some flaw in her father's understanding of the world.

It was still a theory she had made for herself only to know, but it would take time to either prove it or debunk it.

Still, the mysterious individual that was Kiritsugu Emiya proved to be much more than he appeared to be.

Shirou's words hadn't spared even him from being revealed as someone that was potentially dangerous to have around considering his proficiency with guns and his strange sense of justice.

It was odd, it felt childish, but Rin didn't feel prepared to quickly oppose this line of thought… as she could see some sense in it.

It was logical, a horrible deviation of it, but it wasn't anything as terribly insane as the plan of the priest.

Afternoon proceeded smoothly, and the young Tohsaka couldn't certainly complain despite the lack of servants flocking at her whims.

With the girl dividing her time by spending it with her mother and getting to know more about the girls while a new room was set for her and her only parent.

Things took a little strange turn when Fujimura-san ended up arriving at the house, learning pretty quickly what happened, and instantly rushing to the girl's side.

It was nice, but being hugged this closely and this intensively proved to be as much as lovely as irritating.

Rin didn't dislike the brunette, in fact she appreciated the genuine sense of sadness directed at her own situation, but her chirpy nature made it the most difficult to relate with.

It was also odd that a non-Magus was allowed to know about magecraft, especially with her father mentioning that the diffusion of the knowledge about the mystery of Magecraft was something the Association forbade in many occasions.

It was Waver that ultimately admitted that the notion was shadier than it sounded like, the English-born young man explaining that there were a couple of occasions where Gaia would actually ignore the new generations of Magus that would learn about the mystery of the Root.

This was a theory that had received much acclaim by many students at Clocktower, but it was easily dismissed by the grand families ruling the politics in London. The reasoning was also quite… awkward.

'It lacked any major evidence to confirm it'… despite the numerous proof advanced by various students and professors backing this to be a possibility.

And it wasn't even a novelty, it was something that had existed for a century or two now.

It was surprising to learn something new about the Moonlit World from someone that was adept about it, yet Waver failed to stand up close to how well-versed her father had been.

It wasn't the best source, but it was good enough to satisfy her fascination over real magecraft.

But what truly made this discovery the best possible was the chance of having him mentor over her first years of training in simple spells. It was a sad development that he didn't have much knowledge in Jewelcraft, but it was still magecraft and… that was what truly mattered for now.

Cover the basis, then move up to her family's unique specialization.

Dinnertime proved to be fairly entertaining and… loud. Incredibly loud.

It was at that point that the reality that this was going to become a normal thing for her new life, that everything she had thought as granted was now changed into something that left her… incredibly happy.

Dinner turned out to be the complete opposite of the unnervingly silent ceremony that would see her eat just some food before being sent to sleep early.

The food prepared at the Emiya household tasted much better than anything she had ever had the chance of trying, her eyes glimmering eagerly as Rin carefully wolfed down the content of her plate.

Illya giggled at the scene, causing some blush to spread on her face, but it wasn't a sign of embarrassment. No, she was actually feeling happy that this was actually happening, that there was at least some interaction.

Caren was quick to jump in to chide the young Einzbern, a quarrel ensuing between the two much to the Tohsaka's surprise while Taiga started to tease Waver a little about some 'big guy' and some 'part-time job' he was aware about.

Gray was surprisingly keeping an eye to the dark-haired girl's mother, carefully offering some help with the food much to the green-haired lady's visible delight.

Kiritsugu was quietly sipping from his water while reading some book, completely detached from the instance, while his son was… looking around with a small smile on his face.

She blinked, her blue eyes fixing on Shirou's face for a couple of seconds, a renewed blush returning on her face.

"Em-" Rin stopped herself, the noise appearing more like a chewing one and avoiding being caught as the girl started to debate quietly over the little dilemma that had appeared on her mind.

The redhead had been calling her by her first name for sometime now, and she had been so invested in keeping some silly resemblance of formality between the two.

Until now, he had been a stranger to her. A friend, there was no reason to deny that, but still someone that wasn't as close to her to call out by his first name.

But now that things had changed? Now that she was going to live in this house for the time being?

There was a reason to uphold that degree of noble elegance that her father had always so keen to remind her about?

There were so many flaws with her father's idea of the world, some that were confirmed while others were just… unfairly strange.

Rin gulped down the last bite of food on her plate, her attention diverging away from the young Emiya and back to the table as she thought quietly about someone that was now lost because of the family's situation before the War.

_Sakura, I wonder if she is alright._

But just as her mind tuned away from reality, a hand settled on her shoulder, bringing her back out to the real world.

"Is everything alright, Rin?" Shirou inquired quietly, his face displaying some concern directed at her.

The girl blinked at the sudden words, but didn't tense up at the touch.

She sighed and… she shook her head.

"Nothing," The young Tohsaka replied with a small smile. "But thank you for asking… Shirou."

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, lips parting in what became for Rin the most amusing sight she could get out of that silly friend of hers.

A giggle left her lips at the scene, causing the redhead to sport a blush as bright as his hair.

_**And while these two enjoyed some pleasant conversations, a certain green-haired woman continued to glance at the scene with a certain hint of fascination that was sadly restrained by her current conditions.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Man, I had planned to do stuff for April Fools but I got distracted in helping around home.**

**Mom has learned to make bread (**_**Yes, it's edible and fuck yes, it's delicious~!**_**) and stuff is fine here considering the mess the government is making about the Covid19 (I will not tell what exactly is being messed up as I don't want to make political crap today… or never in my stories).**

**P.S. The theory about the 'Preservation of the Mystery isn't completely necessary' is about this story. It's based on the fact that Waver supported the thesis that new Magi from first-generation families can actually be important to the Association.**

**Quick announcements: **  
**1) I've published a TwoKinds story (it's not a SI). I'm particularly interested in developing quite the fun story and I hope people do give it a look if they like the genre.**  
**2) Gacha Gods were merciful with Lostbelt 1, I got Anastasia, Atalanta Alter and… Wu Zetian? (I'm hella confused how I got her and not Salieri. LeShrug!)**


	30. Madness (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Madness (1)**

* * *

A loud noises shook the darkness of the night, waking many of the occupants within the Emiya household.

And despite the distance of this familiar sounds, Shirou's amber eyes opened in a brief moment of fright, cold sweat covering his face.

It didn't take him too much to recognize the distinct issue, and his thoughts sported a mixed amount of panic and alert over the unexpected wake up call.

It was a gun shooting, there was no doubt about it, and the fury of bullets being sprayed around and against something or someone meant that the situation wasn't a normal one, especially with the fact that the only one owning guns was Kiritsugu.

There was no reason to waste further time in his warm bed, the young boy shuffling out of it by swiftly pushing its covers away.

Soon his right hand reached out to find where his shoes were, remembering that he had set those by the side of the small bed-!

He found something, and his grasp tightened a little over the unseen object, but just as he did so, he didn't feel the texture that he knew being of his shoes.

It was wriggling madly, unnervingly so as multiple small things were now tickling at his palm and his attention snapped at the odd development… only for his face to show an aghast expression at the horrifying sight just mere moments to jump onto him.

The small critter chittered fiercely, trying to rush towards him and prompting the Emiya to drop it on the floor before the boy moved away from its reach.

It wasn't alone.

Four- no, five more of those small bug-like creatures were trying to make their way towards him, with what felt like a hunger-induced interest.

_What- What is going on?!_

His eyes blinked wide open, shock filling those orbs as he called out for** Observe.**

**Burrowing Worm LVL.5**  
**35****/35HP**  
**Class: Berserker**  
**Rank: Bronze**

Worms?

These just didn't look like the mostly-harmless kind of insects one could find at the local park.

From their appearance to their current attitude, the green-colored fiends looked as malicious as a monstrous bug could get.

And… they continued to rush towards him. They were only crawling, seemingly unable to do much else other than that.

He flinched, lifting his right feet up as he prepared to try something against the closest of the bunch.

It continued to wriggle excitedly, seemingly unable to spot the approaching bare feet from the upwards and-

_**Squish!**_

It was squashed without much resistance, yet the noise originating from the sudden demise of the bug sending chills down the young Emiya's spine as he just wasn't sure what was going on.

**+1200 EXP!**

Shirou blinked with a surprised glint in his eyes, confused by the modest amount of Experience he had just received by such a little action.

Soon, he took this development as a sign to proceed with the killing of those pests, his mind well reminding him that there was still some battle going on while he was losing time there.

The rest of the **Burrowing Worms **were easily crushed, while the boy's disgust increased at the crescendo of flinch-worthy noises being conceived by the critters' deaths.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

The Gamer sighed once he had completely exterminated the small fiends, his heart regaining some of its regular pacing as he found himself distracted by the appearance of a familiar box in front of his face.

***Ding***

**Congratulations, you have LVLd Up!**

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 16 – Exp: 21,56%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 750/750 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1500/1500 (+100) (60 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 32+1**  
**INT: 30+1**  
**AGI: 36+1**  
**WIS: 30+1**  
**VIT: 37+1**  
**CHA: 25+1**  
**LUK: 26+1**

He had leveled up? It was just so… sudden for it to be happening and-

His trail of thoughts died down when he felt the distinct noise of something violently fluttering mid-air right behind him.

The boy ducked down on instinct as he perceived the new intrusion making a move towards him, with pressure building up and pressing onto him, and soon he found his stare was fixed on the appearance of what looked to be a… wasp?

The insect was buzzing furiously, as it slowly turned around to 'greet' him, and its white blade-like stinger was quick to gain the redhead's gaze.

Two more appeared in front of the Emiya and by the main wasp's size, further tensing up the boy's body at what looked to be something more difficult than merely stepping on some worms.

**Bladed Wing Insect LVL.11 X 3**  
**100/100HP**  
**Class: Rider**  
**Rank: Silver**

The **Observe **page flickered away as the central fiend rushed once more towards him, the other two wasp-like creatures following its example.

Shirou didn't freeze, with his adrenaline pushing his body to easily roll to the side before chanting the spell he hadn't been using for so long.

"**Trace… on.**"

A suave blue light stretched out of his palms as two small daggers appeared in his hands.

**-Home Invasion-**

**Time Limit: 1 Day**

**Worm-like creatures have attacked your home and is trying to kill you and the rest of your family. Kill the Fiends along the way and then find and rescue the other occupants of the house.**

**Objectives**

**Kill Bladed Wing Insects (0/3)**

**Find Gray**

**Find Rin**

**Find Caren**

**Find Illya**

**Find Waver**

**Find Kiritsugu**

**Optional – Kill 100 Burrowed Worms (0/100)**

**Hints**

**Those monsters are as ugly as I remember those being...**

**Reward**

**-Identity of the Attacker-**

**-Your family is saved-**

-(Optional) You receive title 'Worm Slayer'-

Shirou gulped nervously at the objectives established, feeling already stressed by the fact that he had to kill those flying creatures. But 100 Worms? That just sounded like a terrible idea right now that there were more important things to do.

Still, his attention shifted back at the three present issues, his hands' hold tightening over the hilt of his new daggers.

The Wasp-like fiends buzzed even more in response, as if trying to match up with the challenge he had put against them.

The first one to move was the one to his left, the stinger arching a little downward as it prepared to lunge at the boy.

Shirou's guard tensed in a careful watch as he waited for the bug to come closer to where he was. Just as it was about to plunge its stinger towards him, the Gamer moved quickly by rushing his left dagger to the monstrous thing, now in range for the melee.

**-412HP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

The knife managed to easily cut through it, killing the insect instantly as black blood spurted out of the halved carcass.

With the first of the fiends down, Shirou then had his eyes moving to spot the two approaching enemies.

Both were advancing together, their buzzing driving the young Emiya to let out a tired sigh as he moved to the side to avoid the joint assault.

The insects missed just barely, and the redhead capitalized over the vicinity of the two to take another swing at them, hoping to at least clip one of the two's wings.

**-394HP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

The attack managed to reach properly at the closest of the two flying critters, but instead of merely damaging it, it ended up killing the bug.

The remaining creature flied up by the ceiling, and away from the boy's reach, as it slowly started to hover around the room.

At first it looked like an annoying attempt to distract the Gamer, but soon Shirou realized that the flying insect was slowly starting to gain more and more speed through that simple movement.

He too a step or two towards the middle of the room, carefully studying the pattern while waiting for it to strike.

Seconds of quiet listening passed, with the bug taking its time to muster up as much speed as its sharp wings were able to bring to the situation.

Then, it sprung in action by rushing furiously towards him, its buzzing almost reaching its highest peek in what seemed to be a battle-cry of sort.

In a normal situation, with a normal child his age, the bug would have easily landed a deadly blow with such an action, its speed being far beyond what someone that young should've been able to match up.

But this circumstance was far from normal, and Shirou merely rolled away just in time when the creature reached close enough to be unable to stop in its path.

In fact, while the speed might have been useful to gain an advantage over its enemy, the bug's body didn't have enough strength to veer away and avoid crashing into the floor.

The stinger stabbed into the soft wood, drawing the capacity for the critter to move to nothingness as the wings weren't capable of pulling the deeply-plunged blade out of the precarious instance it had just been subjected into.

Shirou didn't hesitate with the opportunity before him, merely sighing in relief at the fact that his 38 points in Agility were good enough to keep up with the insane pace of these fiends.

**-401HP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

The small sword in his right hand lunged towards the paralyzed bug, ending its existence in a small display of black, muddy blood.

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 17 – Exp: 17,79%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 800/800 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1445/1600 (+100) (65 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

POW: 33+1  
INT: 31+1  
AGI: 37+1  
WIS: 31+1  
VIT: 38+1  
CHA: 26+1  
LUK: 27+1

There was a brief pause that Shirou used to give a look around for any other issues within his own room before the young boy rushed to the door.

Pausing for just a brief moment by the door's handle, the redhead prepared to make his way through something far worse than what he had woken up into, knowing that an infestation of those critters wasn't impossible.

The door was opened to the side and… more Worms were crawling around by the floor and the walls.

Taking a quick breath, Shirou started to rush towards the room beside his, using his blades to cut down a couple of insects between him and the place.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

Illya's room opened to him and he was granted sight over a dreadful scene.

He had almost forgotten that the little Einzbern had decided to have a little sleepover with Caren and Rin to celebrate the latter's arrival, and now the three girls were standing over by the little white desk, shivering in visible fright at the small group of worms having concentrated by the chair in front of it.

The Gamer didn't hesitate to rush towards the conglomerate of insects, swiftly killing all four of those.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

The room was cleared from any threats pretty quickly, and relief lessened his steely stance over the horrible circumstance that was happening within what thought to be the safest place in the world.

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 18 – Exp: 32,15%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 850/850 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1510/1700 (+100) (70 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 34+1**  
**INT: 35+1**  
**AGI: 38+1**  
**WIS: 32+1**  
**VIT: 39+1**  
**CHA: 27+1**  
**LUK: 28+1**

"Shirou!"

Illya proceeded to launch herself towards the redhead, the young Emiya panicking as he couldn't catch the girl mid-air with his hands still busied by his projections and-

**Thud!**

The fall to the floor was unneeded, but the trembling coming from the white-haired child stopped him from whining about the current instance.

He spared a glance back to the other two girls, both slowly descending to come closer to the two other children.

"Sh-Shirou, what is going on? What are these ugly things?" Rin's question was filled with incredible worry but also legitimate fear over this unexpected predicament.

"A-And why I feel like there is something-" Caren paused in her words, her eyes strangely enough wide open in a state of constant shock. "So impure- so- so wrong."

What is going on?

That very query he himself wanted to have an answer about, and much to the girls' dismay, he couldn't offer any clarity over the matter.

"I… I don't know," He admitted nervously as he slowly got up, with Illya still latching onto him for some emotional support. "But something is leading these worms. And whoever it is, I think it's best that we focus on finding the others and leave."

The young Tohsaka nodded at the common sense behind his words, while Caren slowly took hold of his right hand as they all started to make their way through the infested hallways of the Emiya household.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to do much while keeping an eye over the girls, Shirou's priority was to reach the closest exit. Either the main entrance or the unused gates by the courtyard.

Just as he passed over his room, the Gamer carefully looked around for any sign of the worms, finding none by the part of the corridor that led towards the main entrance.

There was a sliver of hope, one that could as well be just a trap laid out for them to go through.

It would just be… too easy.

And in fact, his suspicions proved to be correct when he looked around the corner and saw a sea of dark-green worms and numerous **Bladed Wing Insects **blocking the path right towards where the front door was.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, the Emiya decided to change his plans to the second available exit, with the rest of the girls keeping close as he ventured a little more deeper through the dim-lit rooms of the mostly quiet building.

There were no worms patrolling the inner sections of the household, offering just some relief in the fact that this endeavor seemed to be their best chance in that very moment.

Still, some nervousness remained as the redhead noticed that the noise of shooting was still ongoing and that the more they walked towards the safest of the two exits, the more the noises grew louder and louder.

Continuing with his wandering, Shirou finally managed to reach the area where the courtyard was, slowly sliding the door that led to it to the side before he ventured outside and… right into quite the confusing scene.

Kiritsugu was moving quickly, some prominent veins visible within his face as he dodged swarms of insects trying to reach out for him. His only weapon being what seemed to be a simple machine-gun, with the gun being unable to properly dismiss the waves of fiends trying to reach out for me.

A little behind the worms was what looked to be some elderly figure. He was hunched, with his bald head continuing to stare eerily at the struggle the older Emiya was going through because of small monsters attacking him.

The worms weren't swarming at him, they actually seemed to be reaching out from the creepy figure.

And while the man seemed distracted at first in glaring at Kiritsugu, he would soon tense up and direct his gaze right upon… Shirou.

The malicious and crooked smile on his face expanded, his wrinkles emphasizing quite the hideous complex while his dark and devious eyes showed the greedy delight from within at noticing the four children.

**Name: Zouken Matou**

**Title: Head of the Matou Family**

**Age: ?**

**Level: 50**

**HP : 400/400**

**MP : ?**

His lips twitched and soon a cackle left his mouth. "To think that the situation would turn to my favor so suddenly and so unexpectedly," The mysterious old figure said while tilting his head to the side in a display of quiet interest. "But I'm surprised it would be the novel son of the Magus Killer to bring the downfall of his foolish parent."

Four flying insects appeared out of the elderly being and up to the air before rushing towards the small group.

"Kill the boy, and bring me the heiresses," The old man commanded dully, and it seemed like the fiends were listening to those as they continued to advance with the redhead as their target.

_**MISSION UPDATED!**_

**-Home Invasion-**

**Time Limit: 1 Day**

**Here is the culprit for the attack, the one that has ordered for such an unwarranted assault. _Kill Zouken Matou!_**

**Objectives**

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Kill Zouken!**_

_**Optional – Kill Zouken with Fire!**_

**Hints**

_**Kill Zouken!**_

**Reward**

**-Survival-**

**-Your family is saved-**

_**-Relationship with ? is elevated to 'Favorite Step-descendant'-**_

Taking a few steps in front of the girls and jumping off the edge of the wooden platform over the courtyard, Shirou rushed towards the true cause for this massive mess.

He was unsure as of why the Game would urge him to kill the old man, perhaps there was a degree of danger to him that… forced the system to find him deplorable.

And considering that this creepy figure was making use of disgusting worms and seemed to be wanting to kidnap Illya, Rin, and Caren, the young Emiya wasn't going to complain with this sudden request.

With his newfound Agility and Vitality, the young boy managed to move quickly through the approaching **Bladed Wing Insects**, his reformed daggers slashing through those without hesitation and without difficulty.

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1800 EXP!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 19 – Exp: 10,09%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 900/900 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1650/1800 (+100) (75 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 35+1**  
**INT: 36+1**  
**AGI: 39+1**  
**WIS: 33+1**  
**VIT: 40+1**  
**CHA: 28+1**  
**LUK: 29+1**

"That's… interesting," The old man commented quietly, with his face showing a fascinated and lucid expression compared to the insane one he had previously shown.

But Shirou wasn't minding the odd mood swing, both of his daggers already rushing towards the undefended old man to end this situation once for all and…

**-454HP!**

The damage was inflicted, and it was one that went a little beyond the HP bar of the mastermind behind this attack, but… there was no notifications about experience coming out from that action.

In fact, despite cutting through the figure in quite the killing fashion, the old man continued to display a degree of calm that turned out to be quite… unsettling.

"What are you?"

It wasn't Shirou to ask such a query, but the very elder as he started to slowly morph back to normal as worms from within his body started to mend everything to a proper state.

There was a moment of silence, with the Gamer trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed.

_**He had killed the man… yet this one hadn't died?**_

"I'm curious," Zouken hummed calmly as more flying insects formed around him and swarmed towards Shirou.

This time, the group was made by ten of those and these all seemed to be… more docile than the previous ones.

It was an odd revelation, yet he noticed that it wasn't just that his speed had increased again at his sudden level-up, but also that their wings weren't moving as furiously as the others he had fought against.

With his mind still driven by the adrenaline to continue with the clash, Shirou had an easy time decimating the approaching creatures.

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1800 EXP!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 21 – Exp: 5,81%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 950/950 (+100)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1612/1900 (+200) (80 (+10)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 36+2**  
**INT: 37+2**  
**AGI: 40+2**  
**WIS: 34+2**  
**VIT: 41+2**  
**CHA: 29+2**  
**LUK: 30+2**

"Truly marvelous!" The old Matou proclaimed with a frustrating amount of glee over the situation. "I can't believe that her theory was correct- and yet… I wonder. I really wonder."

Nothing of what he was saying made sense to him, yet Shirou persisted by once more attacking the seemingly harmless elder.

This time, he stabbed right into his chest, hoping to bring him to die like that.

**-445HP!**

Yet, like the first time, the deadly blow didn't end up killing the elder.

As the figure continued to regenerate, Shirou then desperately tried to rush more attacks at him, hoping that there was a limit to this surreal case before him.

**-432HP!**

**-448HP!**

**-435HP!**

**-458HP!**

**-437HP!**

_It's… it's not working._

With his breathing growing more strained by the lack of success with this endeavor, the Gamer soon gasped in surprise as he found himself tripping backward and right onto the ground.

His dagger clanged at the floor, but still firmly held by his hands as the boy gave a fierce look at the seemingly-undamaged elder.

"Your efforts are… admirable. But terribly annoying," Zouken muttered tiredly. "Your mere existence is fascinating, something that gives me plenty of ideas of what to do with you but… I think I will let you fester a little more, little fish."

Shirou panicked as worms swarmed all over him, yet instead of devouring him, they all started to meld together in a large, humongous surface.

"I want you to fatten, to become bigger, to be able to actually sustain my disappointing predicament," He continued with an amused tone. "And this is why… I will see you 'treated correctly' from now on."

Before the boy had the chance of rebutting these comments, the entirety of his body was coated by the wriggling mass of worms, and soon enought the swarm of fiends rushed him towards the barely open gates.

Loud screams coming from the girls kept him fully aware of the situation as he tried to push away the multiple insects piling up all around him, squishing him in that reduced space.

He didn't have the means to reform his blades, the space allowed just enough for his form and… he was starting to get tired.

It was a strange sensation, one that shouldn't be troubling him right now as he hadn't suffered any damage until…

Now.

**STATUS: Crest Worm Absorption (x50): Reduction of HP and MP by -50 per Min; Sleepiness.**

**Health Points (HP) : 900/950 (-50HP per Min)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1850/2100 (+200) (40MP per Min)**

The worms. They were slowly draining him of his energy and… the second effect was slowly defeating his will to fight back the hideous instance he had been put through.

He struggled, he put all of what was left within his body to push away even just a couple of the worms trying to paralyze him completely and yet…

It was too late.

His eyes started to lose focus, and his breathing started to slow down to a minimum as he felt slowly succumbing to the conditions imposed by the unexpected development.

The sensation itself was familiar, and…

It reminded him of the Fire.

* * *

There was an annoying silence reigning over that little street of Fuyuki City.

With most of its people still enjoying a couple of hours of sleeping before truly beginning their early morning, the entire town was mostly devoid of any human presence.

Birds were already chirping and enjoying the easy winds of these hours and… a disgusting mass of Crest Worms was hastily retreating away by their master's commands.

The worms themselves didn't have much of a choice, their inferior minds all connected to the great hivemind that was Zouken's own soul.

They were indebted to him, they leeched off energy from him, but most of it all, they were his most loyal familiars.

There was nothing wrong with their brutality, nothing wrong about imposing the rule of the strongest commanded over the weaklings… and yet there was already something that the simple-minded fiends were mostly unaware about.

Orders sometime could be unclear and… lacking of any extra instructions.

Zouken had rightfully wanted the now-unconscious red-haired boy to be sent back to the Matou Mansion, having established some important plans over him, but… there had been no conditions about what to do before a blonde-haired red-eyed man giving obstacle to their path.

The mass stopped momentarily, their initial instinct being to overwhelm the smug-smiling 'simple human' at once and so they did.

Every worm that had been assigned to the boy disengaged from their early task and rushed towards the patiently-waiting young man, seeing nothing wrong in devouring this foolish idiot before resuming with their journey.

The large group was well-distant from the redhead when the first signs of trouble emerged.

Numerous yellow lights emerged from above and from those portal-like phenomena appeared numerous golden-colored instruments.

Long and well-refined, the strange tools started to light up and… started to blast down into the unaware mass of Crest Worms.

There was no mean to avoid incineration at first contact, the burning effects within the energy barrage destroying all of the familiars, and every single one of those critters was eliminated from the streets.

Silence resumed at the quiet extermination, with only the footsteps of the blond-haired man now approaching the sleeping boy with a curious look.

Gilgamesh stood over the child, pondering over the plans he had set for him, the plans that would see him succeed against both Kotomine and the disgusting fool trying to cheat death.

He didn't speak at first, his attention taken by the improvements that had happened since their first meeting.

He was stronger, there was no denying it as his bloody stare could notice it so blatantly and so truthfully, but this 'Shirou' was still too far from actually gaining a proper standing against him.

The little mongrel was young, and his potential was immense, but there was no reason to hide the fact that Gilgamesh was impatient.

To have a good chance to not only restore the Age of Gods as he saw fit, but to also have someone that could become his equal in a matter of short time?

While the second option would have irked him immensely, it was also true that the desire of finding a competent match in terms of combat prowess was still there to urge him to study the case in front of him.

Saber had fought him in an almost equal footing, if it hadn't been for the fact that both had been limited by their annoying Masters, yet the lovely woman had been born in a time and with certain conditions that had pushed her to rise up above… before coming tumbling down because of her disappointing emotional struggle.

Shirou Emiya was born in an unfair era, without much to start with because of the limits imposed by Gaia and… with a power that well excelled to see him strive up to reach divinity and become a worthy opponent to the King of Heroes.

Magic barely existed now, and humans were mostly boring to even hear about. Even his flickering interest in seeing Kotomine's subjugation under his own insanity had already lost its hold over his mind.

There wasn't much amusement around and this boy would surely provide it to him. It would be entertainment beyond the simple one provided by stupid jesters strutting around and mocking his name with their flamboyant and deceitful titles.

But… he wasn't going to intervene just yet in this escalation within the Kotomine-Emiya's feud. It was too early, it was unnecessary and… he had already styled some plans to make everything go for an idyllic route for him.

"You may come out from your hiding, mongrels," The former Archer ordered sternly and dully, drawing the attention of two spectators that had been witnessing this sublime scene up until now.

They scrambled out from the bushes where they have been ordered to wait and see the grandiose display of his power, further cementing the loyalty of the leading figure of this unexpected duo.

Shinji Matou was elated- no, he was honored to have been bestowed with such a sight, and to have received confirmation that trading his place as the heir of the clan had been a mostly correct choice.

It was a temporary move, one that served mostly to shatter the hold his grandfather had over the entire family and… to see himself propelled to the leadership of the family.

It was ambitious, it was naive… but there was no true flaw to it. And that came with the chance of getting rid of Sakura from the position of 'rightful heiress'.

The girl beside him was surely unaware of his thoughts despite the exceptional observant nature of the younger child.

Sakura Matou didn't mind leaving another family if it also meant being finally freed from the agony that Zouken had been so ecstatically putting her through for almost a year now.

She was tired of the fact that she had to deal with the horrors of having a family. To be ditched, to be used, to be manipulated, to be scorned and to be saddened by broken promises.

But it wasn't the kind of tiredness that was currently keeping the cute redhead still asleep. No, it was something far deeper and more difficult for her to be capable to express in a couple of words.

And that is why Sakura loved the silence, for the silence meant the lack of any general interactions that could easily end up badly for her.

Still, the intimidating blond man that had offered her the pretty necklace that she was currently wearing.

The curious object was somehow restraining the worms from informing Zouken of her current betrayal and from giving her any discomfort, thus helping her with this naughty endeavor.

...Naughty. How odd, she shouldn't be a bad girl… and yet she liked to not be hurt too.

"Do you remember my words about what will you two have to do, mongrels?"

Shinji nodded without hesitation and Sakura hummed quietly.

"Good, then I will leave you the safety of this young boy. You will bring him at the place I've mentioned you about without being spotted by anyone," The King of Heroes concluded with a sigh. "And I hope you will also remember that any discomfort brought to him will warrant some serious punishments from me. Beyond the mere parental _chiding_," The dark-blue-haired Matou flinched, "Or even anything that a couple of disgusting worms can do." Sakura merely tensed up at the comment, but didn't show any further displeasure at this new condition.

It wasn't anything that she had to worry about, but perhaps she should still keep an eye to her Oniisan to not do anything wrong during that simple errand.

Still, the little girl couldn't help but wonder why would the King want them to reach the city's outskirts. Why would he want them to do that?

But while it was good to muse about her new tasks, Sakura still complied with her brother and slowly helped him to lift up the curiously-lovely redhead through the various streets of Fuyuki, her stare freezing more than once at that interesting face of his.

'_**Perhaps he isn't a bad person'. That hope was the only thing that Sakura had yet to lose.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Ahhhhh! Who is in need of savings? What is Gilgamesh planning? Are the girls (Caren, Illya, and Rin) safe? What about Kiritsugu? And will Shirou recover from the fact that people can actually live despite getting killed?!**

**So many questions… and lot of madness next chapter. Like the final arc of this tutorial Super-Arc.**

**After this? A new escalation!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**


	31. Madness (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Madness (2)**

* * *

**~Kiritsugu's POV~**

This wasn't something he hadn't expected to deal. At least, not this soon.

Zouken had been inactive for sometime since the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, perhaps concocting new plans now that his efforts to gain the Grail had failed miserably because of his youngest son.

Kariya Matou had played the part of the fool, but a fool with a dangerous Servant like Berserker.

If the man had been able to sustain just a little more the black knight, the Magus Killer knew that Saber would've had some horrible predicament to face about against that monster.

Yet grumbling over the past was nowhere as productive as genuinely focus on what was currently under his watch and the present circumstances.

The household was no longer safe for them to keep.

There was no need for him to even question that fact, and his first contingency plan had entered in action the very moment his Boundary Fields had collapsed under the swarm of worms and wasps that were part of Zouken's own arsenal of familiars.

The old Matou had always struck a foul chord all the times that Kiritsugu had to linger over the files describing Kariya, but the indirect involvement from the elder had prevented for any 'surprise visit' from the Emiya.

He knew that something horrible was happening there, but up until now the extent of the deplorable deeds had gone unnoticed by the dark-haired man.

That very early morning brought enlightenment over the grotesque nature of the head of the Matou Clan, with the Crest Worms finally revealing in their infamous glory.

Guns had proven to be a good way to exterminate the insects as none had any resilience again the bullets.

The loud noise that exploded at the mere use of his machinegun was meant to alarm the rest of the house's occupants, which worked up mostly well as more activity erupted all over the place.

Waver had been sleeping nearby, the young man having been instructed to assist and guard Aoi Tohsaka in case of emergency, making it less of a priority for Kiritsugu as he started to make his way through the infested halls of the house.

Wandering around, he continued to clear a distinct pact towards the backdoor by the inner courtyard.

The front door wasn't meant to be trusted in this predicament, and thus he rushed for the closest and possibly safer exit.

The courtyard was mostly untouched by the 'invasion', and the Magus Killer had been keen to expect some ambush in that eerily quiet open space.

Zouken manifested in an unceremonious display of worms creeping swiftly by the middle of the courtyard, his corpse-like body building up in its fullest before Kiritsugu's eyes.

He tried to greet him, the response was numerous bullets from his machinegun.

A useless endeavor, he was aware of his as the former mercenary unloaded the rest of the magazine into the bald figure.

It was a distraction, an attempt to dissuade the dangerous threat from gaining full realization of his surrounding.

Time was essential, he just needed to buy more than enough for the rest of the occupants to safely leave the premises of the home, to get on the streets or even further.

His body was still unprepared for a full-fledged fight, especially after what had happened in Germany.

The Curse, some of the wounds still having trouble to heal, the Magus Killer had expected a slow death for himself against the older Magus.

Furious was the worm, the swarm of familiars showing no hesitation in pursuing Kiritsugu around the courtyard.

He pushed his own boundaries by using Triple Accel, and feeling the stress from the very beginning as the spell entered in action.

The duress was enough to keep him well-awake and moving as he continued to dodge the various assaults from the multitude of bugs rushing towards him.

Bullets rained once more on the creatures, but the high number of those prevented a serious depletion of their horde.

A game of Cat and Mouse, where the roles felt different between two simple perspectives.

In the small picture, Zouken was playing around with Kiritsugu.

In the bigger one, Kiritsugu was distracting the bastard for long enough to get everyone else out without any problem.

But while the plan was simple and seemingly working well with the logic imposed by the instance, with the old Matou keeping his watch over only the former mercenary.

There were just a few issues with the overly-limited planning, something that Kiritsugu had well hoped to not materialize in this moment of hardships.

His prayers went unanswered as he noticed the swarm lessening their effort as a new distraction had entered the line of sight of the old man.

Shirou looked confused, yet not terrified by the scene as he seemed to be escorting Illya, Rin, and Caren out of the inner section of the house.

Some worms still persisted in their attack, but the large majority rushed the four children.

His worry was partly soothed by the fact that the redhead had the means to defend himself and those behind him.

In fact, small daggers appeared on both of his hands as he rushed to intercept the first insects head on.

The speed was curious considering his age, yet the magecraft that conceptualized the swords was the true element that had previously caught his interest.

The refined products were working perfectly while also resisting the constant degradation effects caused by Gaia's influence.

The surprise waned the more the gritty reality of the predicament resumed its grip over his mind.

Shirou's ability helped in repelling the bugs, but it wasn't working against Zouken's own body.

Sharp cuts tore through the elderly figure more than once, yet none seemed to genuinely destroy the corpse-like being.

The attempt from the younger Emiya failed, horribly so as the boy was soon overwhelmed by the worms and rushed away by the swarm.

Kiritsugu finally disengaged from his own concerns the very moment he saw the scene unfolding, his machinegun trying to cut over the highest bits of that disgusting cocoon, yet the distance preventing him from scoring significant hits on the retreating living coffin.

The situation had gone well south from his already-unfair predictions, but the lack of most of the familiars opened a new plan for the Emiya to try out.

Zouken was grinning as he slowly approached the trio of girls looking in shock at the monstrous figure, yet the man's happiness vanished the very moment a bright light exploded between him and the girls.

Kiritsugu pushed his legs to run even harder at the opportunity created by the flashbang, scooping the girls in his arms as he rushed around the house and towards the main entrance.

The gate were busted, just as he had expected, but the presence of bugs was minimal and easily avoidable as he ventured through the entrance and into the streets.

The very moment he stepped outside the household, his eyes were granted with good news as Waver, Gray and an unharmed Aoi were waiting there by the empty streets.

"Emiya-san-"

"Keep moving." The abrupt interruption surprised both the English-born teens, but both seemed to comply quickly enough as the Magus Killer moved towards the only place that Zouken couldn't actually strike just yet.

The house looked simple, and no light was on considering the late hour, but the man didn't hesitate in ringing the doorbell twice.

There was silence at first, but footsteps approached in a rush, the door opening to reveal a tired-looking Zachary Ainsworth.

The Magus' confused look swiftly melted in shock as he noticed the large group of people waiting outside.

His attention fixed on the main figure, showing some surprise at the sight. "Emiya-"

Kiritsugu gritted his teeth at the unpleasant circumstance, yet he pronounced the words he had for so long promised himself to never use while talking to a Magus.

And the irony was that the very promise was born from the example in front of him.

"I need your help, Ainsworth-san."

From there the dreadful problem lessened to a state of uneasy developments as Kiritsugu was allowed entrance suddenly by the man, the rest of the group following shortly after.

Hours passed, explanations were given, and stronger Boundary Fields were erected around the household owned by the Magus Clan from London.

Zachary was disturbed by the discovery that the Matou Clan had fallen so lowly.

His disgust over the revelation that the 'revered' Zouken Matou had devolved its existence to his Crest Worms was enough to warrant further sympathy from the man as the rest of the people were quickly ushered in the living room of the house.

The girls, albeit shocked, terrified and outright worried about further attacks, managed to find enough strength to rest by the long couch while Waver and Gray kept watch over the unnerved Aoi.

The woman had been affected by the attack, yet not in the way he had expected.

Nervousness, panic, she was fidgeting constantly at any small sound.

No verbal response, only humming and.. that worried the Emiya as it was for the best of his interests if the woman actually recovered from her mental decline, not the opposite.

Zachary had then retreated upstairs to check on his children, confirming that both were safe and soundly asleep much to his instant relief.

Once he had gone through to have everyone settled down, he proceeded to retreat back to his study, muttering something about checking on some of his contacts.

One of the first things that the Magus Killer also saw as a priority was to contact Raiga Fujimura.

The boss was barely awake when his call had been answered, yet the old man was quick to understand that there was a particular situation that called for some drastic measures.

Taiga was to remain at home for the reminder of the day, at least upon further notice.

Raiga was surprised by these words, but considering the strong emotion behind those, he didn't hesitate to believe that there was actually a reason to be worried about.

While the old worm had attacked the household to try and capture Illya and Rin, there was no reason to doubt that another reason to attack was also to get the former mercenary to be destroyed.

Aiming for the brunette would open up a dreadful situation that would actually force the man to make some unpleasant choices.

Despite these major setbacks, the real issue lingered fresh in his mind while he quietly oversaw for any possible counterattack.

Shirou had been kidnapped by Zouken, and Kiritsugu had no mean to recover his son from the clutches of the devious head of the Matou Clan.

The absurdity of the circumstances was absurd, and yet the Magus Killer had no plans to actually make any wrong steps now that everything had stabilized.

Going alone would warrant very little chances of success, and he was wary from requesting the help of both Waver and Gray.

Both were perfect for simple assignments, but none of the two was prepared to deal with a heated situation.

The former Master of Rider might have grown a backbone, but he still had no real arsenal to make use of against a dangerous opponent as Zouken.

In fact, the direct guarding of the widowed Tohsaka had been left to Gray's own initiative.

The girl was clumsy, but her fighting capacity was growing by the day and her scythe had indeed started to become faster the more she trained with it.

Yet she wasn't mentally prepared to invade the nest of the horrible monsters, her worries still denying her the chance of finding rest even now.

Four hours passed by smoothly and uneventfully, but sleep eluded Kiritsugu as he continued to ponder over the situation, his eyes staring at the ceiling as he grimaced at the lack of cigarettes he could use.

The stress was starting to dent at his patience, and his perception of things had warped just momentarily as he had noticed quite the confusing sight.

Aoi was no longer sitting by her wheelchair.

The woman had 'moved' and settled by the couch, right by where the protective pile formed by the young girls was and… her hands were patting her daughter's head, then Illya's and Caren's.

It was periodical, careful and somewhat nostalgic.

Kiritsugu stared at the scene in his sight, mesmerized by the motherly behavior from the Tohsaka woman.

Yet what truly got him to utter silence was the humming coming from Aoi, the sound resembling so much like a simple lullaby a mother offer to her own children.

It was confusing, it was distracting… but he finally got a moment away from contemplating over the situations that led to this very moment.

He was tired, his body was groaning and in need of rest… he closed his eyes shortly after as he tried to get some sleep after the ordeal he had to go through.

The curse continued to burn, but his mind wasn't just allowing him to keep awake with how tired it was.

A dreamless rest greeted him ceremoniously as he felt wondering of what could've been.

Of the chances lost, of the apologies denied… and the hopes of a bright future that's no longer there for him to acquire.

* * *

**~Shirou's POV~**

Humming was the noise that greeted him as he slowly woke up from the forced state of sleep he had been forced to endure.

Shirou was keen to keep the appearance that he was still resting despite the fact he was starting to wake up.

It was instinct that dictated this attitude as his last memories before blacking out was connected to the fact he had been kidnapped by Zouken Matou.

There were none of the worms that had overwhelm him some time earlier, and he was in a state of curious warmth as he continued to lie there in a state of silence and apparent sleep.

Yet his act didn't seem to work well for him as he felt footsteps approaching and the humming intensifying the more the figure approached.

The voice wasn't Zouken's, no- it was more feminine.

More subdued, more easygoing… more problematic.

A mirthful sound, then he felt warm breath over his face as the individual that was within him in that room examined him thoroughly.

"Mhh, I think you shouldn't be lying," The young woman muttered with a hint of sadness. "I mean, I did accept getting you out of this troublesome situation despite the fact I hate the big worm but… yeah, open your eyes please~?"

Shirou stirred nervously at the flippant tone, his amber eyes slowly opening and finding quite the closeup of an odd face.

She was pretty, there was no denying about it, yet her beauty was one that closely resembled the one of a morbid death that was soon to happen the very moment he messed up.

Dark eyes stared down into his own, some white circles within the irises making the orbs absurdly endearing.

Her lips twitched a petite smile, which oddly presented an unpleasant note to someone looking.

Her long white hair was combed with a long black ribbon by the top of her head.

The young woman was wearing a vertically striped top with a short skirt, a visible garterbelt that connected down to stockings which had bone patterns on them.

She was also wearing boots with eye and teeth like designs adorning them. Finally, she was donning a pair of fingerless gloves that go up to just below her shoulders.

A giggle left her lips. "Are you done staring, little Mystery? Or perhaps you wish to press for more?"

A blush spread at the teasing, more giggles echoing in that dim-lit room as the pretty lady concluded with a sigh her melodious intervention.

"Sorry, but also not," The curious individual continued. "You see, while I would enjoy appearing a little serious right now, I think I've plenty of reasons to be giddy as I'm right now."

She twirled, her arms lifting up in a spread manner. "I mean, why shouldn't I be happy to have a true Mystery that will never be answered within someone that has something in common with Arty herself?"

…What?

"Look at this," She muttered eagerly as she stared right at the box correlated to his current recovery thanks to the rest. "Something that announces a full revitalization because of a full sleep? How interesting, how amusing."

Panic rushed to Shirou's face as he was alarmed by her unexpected vision of the Game's notices.

He suddenly inquired for an **Observe…** and the woman noticed that too.

"Oh? What is this now?"

**Name: Francesca Prelati**

**Title: Infernal Priestess**

**Age: ?**

**Level: ?**

**HP : 10600/10600**

**MP : ?**

"An information box about my being?" _Francesca_ inquired with some true fascination. "I think I should be flattered. I feel flattered."

She giggled and turned back to Shirou. "A pretty Mystery, one that is as tricky and deceitful as few I'm aware about."

"A-A Mystery?"

"The world of Magic is born from Mysteries, little boy," The young woman explained. "And until there are secrets so powerful as yours, the world of pretty tricks will still exist."

"What- what are you-"

"Francesca Prelati, professional witch," She replied with a bubbly tone, yet she sported an unsure look. "Or is it best to call myself as Francois Prelati, necromancer priest?"

"Uh..." The boy tried to make sense of this one-sided conversation, but he soon found out that any input from him was being ignored.

"Or even Francesco Prelati! I'm Italian, I should be addressed properly for once by history books!"

Her outburst lessened as realization appeared on her face.

"Oh right, I shouldn't be screeching so suddenly, or at least so loudly with my excitement," Francesca chided herself, staring at another side of the room where… two children were currently resting by the couch.

A young boy and a girl, both seemed to be related by appearance.

"You see… Shirou?"

Before he had the chance of nod at that sudden query, she huffed.

"Why Shirou? It doesn't fit well with you," The woman commented with a pout. "Like, it would work better if you were called 'Ken'. Imagine it: Ken-Ken, Kenny, Ken-chan! There is just so much opportunity with 'Ken', especially since you are a bright sword."

"Why- Why are you behaving like this?" The redhead finally asked, his mind boiling in shock at how much derailed this discussion was turning into.

It was worse than anything he had to go through, and yet what truly made him the most nervous about was the unknown stats from the young-looking lady.

"Because it's fun? No, I think it was something along the line that I just grown bored and did the first stupid and senseless thing I could pull in my first years as a… wizard? I think I was a pretty boy back then, yes," She started to explain with a maddening tone. "Then one thing, became two, then stealing forbidden tomes turned into killing people. You know, it's amusing how easily someone can become a killer from merely stealing."

He slowly frowned. "W-What?"

"Silly Kenny, I mean- you know what happens when you get in an awkward situation because someone caught you being naughty, right?" She inquired swiftly, not even waiting for confirmation before continuing. "It's just absurd how one moment you're pleading for mercy, then the knife you had been using to cut some butter suddenly ends up in someone's neck."

He blinked, starting to get detached from the one-sided discussion.

"F-Francesca?"

She paused, her eyes widening while a grin appeared on her face at his voice.

"Yes, Ken-Ken?"

"Why… Why am I here? Why are they here?" Shirou aimed at the two other children currently unconscious.

"Oh? You think that they've been kidnapped? That perhaps I kidnapped you?" She interrogated back, causing the Gamer to appear a little nervous at the pressure. "I didn't, I can assure you of that."

The boy felt relieve washing over his face. "T-That's good to kno-"

"I mean, if I had known about you before the golden guy had sought me out, I would've captured you just for the sake of having you as my companion," Francesca continued, subsequently looking as if pondering over the topic. "Or maybe as a lover. I do reckon that my heart is fluttering more than when I first saw Arty, maybe twice as strong- is this what Gilles meant with love? I don't feel the need of corrupting you so-"

"I-I'm just a child," He replied nervously, hoping that the excuse would've pushed back the current degree of madness he was subjected with.

"Oh silly Ken-chan, age is just a number," The woman stated happily. "Or at least that is what I always think as an excuse when I remember how old I am. Technically, I shouldn't be bothered by it, yet I feel it would be legitimate for me to be annoyed if someone started to count right now."

"Francesca," Shirou called again, once more gaining her interest. "Why am I here?"

She huffed. "Well, you were attacked by Zouken. That silly decrepit fool tried to hurt you, a precious secret, and just as I'm around to see it happen," The girl explained. "But it was the golden guy that actually saved you, then he left his tiny henchmen to bring you here in my… humble temporary base."

"You want to… kill Zouken?"

"Of course!" The exclamation from the woman forced her to flinch at her own tone. "Who wouldn't? He has been messing with my plans for ages now. Ever since I've come here in Japan to try and get some understanding and fun with the Holy Grail War."

Her hands reached for his shoulders, her eyes widening in a moment of irritation.

"Last war one of my descendants summoned Gilles. Gilles! Can you imagine the fun we would ended up having if I had been able to go there and be with them?" She sighed dreamily at the unknown circumstance brought up. "There would've been so much fun and- Oh, and I can only imagine the long face Arty would've shown if I had been there."

She giggled. "Really a pity.

Her voice turned bitter. "I will kill that bald worm, burn his soul, make an balloon with his wrinkly skin and then make everything explode when I got to milk all the fun from that sight."

"That's quite… graphic," The boy mused quietly, frowning at the horrible scene materializing in his mind.

"You see, Ken-Ken, you need to be direct with some people or they might not understand your feelings," Francesca replied with a solemn nod. "There are some that just can't seem to get some concept straight up with simple words. It's appalling, it's annoying."

"You're brutally honest about your feelings."

"Well, it's the only way to make people understand," She nodded happily. "But still, I think we spent a little too much time being good friends and doing nothing truly productive. That's bad for both of us."

Some relief finally entered his mind at the idea that he was finally through with that insane conversation, and maybe he could finally plan an attack on the Matou's home to-

_W-Wait, what happened to the girls?_

He tensed up in a moment of true worry, panic surging at the possibility that he had failed so immensely in his efforts to protect them from the monstrous figure.

But while he was delving in that possibility, his attention was yanked back to reality as he saw an open palm waving right in front of him.

"By the way, did you know that I have… cool umbrella?"

Francesca revealed a parasol, smiling happily and giddily at the situation despite her own interest in starting to focus on the real issue at hand, the woman then moved the topic elsewhere.

"Also, I have a big airship that is also cool!"

_**This was going to be a long morning alright…**_

* * *

**AN**

**Yes, I've made the insanity come true. Lads and Gentleladies, Francesca Prelati joins the Brawl!**

**Had to ponder a little about how I was supposed to present her as, knowing that she was quite tight with most of her personality in Fate/Strange Fake.**

**But yes, she was here when the HGWs were happening in Fuyuki, but for some reason Zouken weirded her out of the opportunity of joining in and meme it.**

**She isn't the usual Magus as (other than dabbling in necromancy, demon-summoning and 'cool quality time' with Gilles) she does have a degree of fascination for science. Hence why her workshop is a modern US-built Airship with some Sci-Fi armament in it.**

**And she also knows Artoria, but about that I'm not sure how.**

**And no, she will not be in the harem- but expect her to be a recurring fun character that will aim to bring the 'Abridged Alucard experience'.**

**P.S. Check out 'Rush for Greatness', a story that has a certain SI trying his best to attain enough power to improve the future in the world of Dragon Ball (Yes, I did this; no, this isn't a crack-fic)!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Wolf Ronnin****: I can't actually offer much about that very segment (I don't know if I will actually put it or make something 'different but similar), but I'm still contemplating about it.**

**Surya****: Restrained Excalibur get bodied by Ea. But Several Seals Unlocked Excalibur can actually beat Ea because of its true nature.**

**Demzerff1****: Shirou have a different power development that will stray away from UBW… but not fully. Some elements will persist, while others will be 'refined'.**


	32. Madness (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Madness (3)**

* * *

The small crossroad before the gate that led inside the Matou's manor was deserted considering the early hour. Shirou was mostly unsure as to why Francesca had decided to push him to quickly counter the assault that saw him yanked away from home, but he wasn't certainly going to refuse an offer he had wanted to go through with.

Zouken, he could've have already taken Illya, Rin, and Caren. The very thought was enough to shatter any doubt of the plan proposed by the strange white-haired woman.

The 'Witch' had been clear with her words, explaining with extreme perfection the use that those special papers she had given him had.

The decaying corpse was nigh-impossible to destroy because of his natural state, a Wraith that survived through the use of his Crest Worms and that tampered with the World. Normal attacks wouldn't work, and that was the same for the basic offensive Magecraft available to almost every Magi.

And so, to make some legitimate harm upon his existence, the redhead had to employ the use of these special seals that Francesca had prepared in bulk for the occasion. The **Baptism Spell **was a depowered version of something that the Church was supposed to be capable of using in case of exorcism, the **Baptism Ritual.**

[Object: Baptism Spell: Paper]

The paper was imbued with half the power of a true Magical Miracle born from the knowledge in God's miracles. 'Kill. Live. Harm and Heal. I am Light and relieve you of all your burdens.'

The major difference between the two was that the former favored quantity compared to the impressive quality of the latter. Yet the reason why he was given this weakened spell rather than the original was correlated to magical theory over the old man's soul.

With the pseudo-immortality draining his soul to sustain the entirety of his essence in this world, Zouken would've eventually run out of his 'lucky streak' as Francesca had defined it. His mind and his body were close to collapse, and those would by the very moment his soul was finally depleted.

It was disgusting to hear the entire explanation, with gritty details and the giddy tone of the girl turning the whole experience somewhat unnerving. Yet he was provided with a reason for having the **Baptism Spell **for this specific situation.

The **Baptism Ritual **would've sublimated Zouken's body and mind, but failed to reach out to find where his soul was. The young woman was certain that the tricky elder had somehow managed to move his soul in a safer place, and the fact that there was a high chance that it was one of the two children that had been sleeping while he had discussed with Francesca was a good enough reason to go hastily with the Witch's plan.

And while he had been so certain when the girl had given him directions over where Zouken was hiding, Shirou couldn't help but think that this was going to be the greatest ordeal to face yet. He felt rightfully nervous and uneasy as he looked for any entrances from where he could infiltrate the place, knowing that going directly through the gates would have ended up with unwanted ambushes.

But just as he started to shift away from the main side of the gates and seek some other entrance by the lateral section, he noticed two individuals patrolling around. His eyes widened in recognition as he spotted both Sella and Leysritt silently running around the entire structure, with the former taking the lead with a determined and serious look, and the latter looking tense but… also calm. Coldly so.

Before he had the chance of actually try and catch their attention, he took notice of Liz's stare having reached right to the corner from which he was peeking from. She blinked, her composure easing a little in the middle of the paced run, and she offered a brief wave.

The Gamer blinked at the stoic, but relieved expression on her face, and he waved back. The action failed to grab the attention of the clueless maid, which prompted Leysritt to yank a little at the fellow Einzbern's sleeve.

Both were donning some maid-like clothes, just like the ones used by the Battle-Maids from the Einzbern Castle in Germany. It was quite the sight to see the usually lazy young woman drag around a blunt-looking battle-axe around, especially with how calm she was looking right now.

At first, the attempt to get Sella to pause seemed to draw only irritation from the fellow maid. The serious girl tensed up, almost huffing at persisting attempt, and ultimately turned around to inquire loudly about what was going on.

Liz didn't respond verbally, but rather pointed her index finger right to where Shirou was. Quietly following up to the direction aimed by her 'pest of a companion', the fellow Einzbern paused in shock at the sight of the boy waving back at her.

Surprise swelled, confusing following shortly after and… _**She bolted.**_

The young Emiya couldn't help but panic as he saw the woman rushing so quickly towards him, with a confused Leysritt trying to keep up with that sudden burst of speed. Before he had the chance of greet Sella properly, she proceeded to aim her now-glowing fingers at him.

"Tell me something only Shirou Emiya would know about us!" She ordered, a little bit of nervousness filtering through her words but failing to replace the sternness of her voice.

Gulping nervously, the redhead's eyes widened at the sudden development, making him take a step back at the impetuous query. "I- Wha-What?"

"I said… tell us something only Shirou Emiya would know about us," Sella repeated with the same intensity. "And I will not offer you any chance of leaving until you confirm that-"

There wasn't much to say or offer about the stuff he knew about Sella and Liz. Sure, he could offer a lot about kitchen-related stuff… but nothing that would work well in convincing them about his knowledge about Leysritt.

She was incredibly reserved despite her blunt and outgoing personality. And there was hardly something that he knew about these two that wasn't about their…

Bickering.

He merely blinked at that realization and then he started to talk. "W-When you two first woke up, one of your first reason to bicker was about how I should be addressed. Liz wanted to keep it 'Shirou', while you, Sella, wanted to continue addressing me 'Shirou-sama' when I said that no honorifics was needed-"

He didn't have the chance of concluding that the serious maid dispelled her concentration over the spell and proceeded to lift him up for a hug.

"Shirou-sama! I- We thought that the Matou had captured you and-" She stopped, drowning in a quick sob. Shirou blinked as he felt something wet fall on his face as she squeezed him close to her neck. "A-And-"

Leysritt took a few steps closer and looked at the scene with quiet curiosity and sadness. The young Emiya stared up and saw Sella's eyes were looking at him, her sight blurred by the tears falling down.

"Sella..." Shirou muttered quietly, trying to hold himself composed at the sight. It was the first time he saw Sella react this badly at a situation about him. It was the first time he saw the usually strong-looking woman break down to tears, because… of his attempted capture. "I'm sorry."

She squeezed closer, but carefully so as her sobs intensified at his apology. But instead of hearing a response from the crying woman, it was the other maid to reply.

"We know it… it isn't your fault," Leysritt remarked quietly, her tone failing to address the degree of somberness born from the situation. "But… but our role is guarding Lady Illya and… Shirou-sama."

The Gamer blinked in surprise at the fact that Liz had just addressed him with the formal honorific, but his attention didn't stray away from the main issue here. He knew that the two Homunculi had been awakened through the input of Archer, but since the 'helpful' voice had disappeared as per Merlin's decision, the overall explanation of what the man had done to the minds of the two women was… mostly unknown to him.

He perfectly knew that they were devoted as servants to Illya… but it never was mentioned as to why they were considering him as important as the white-haired girl considering his lack of connection to the Einzbern family. It just felt… strange.

Silence reigned sovereign for a couple more of minutes, with the sobbing slowly subsiding as the grievance was all stalled and lessened by the young woman herself. Soon, only a couple of sniffles were there to dignify her past self-disappointment.

"Sella," Shirou finally decided to speak up. "You… It wasn't your fault. Nor was Leysritt… or anyone but Zouken."

Her hug grew softer and softer… until she finally let him down and away from her hold. The two stared, wide red eyes were met with convinced amber ones.

"I can assure you of that," He added with a nod. "And… I want to end this threat once and for all."

The little change of topic served to bring a confused and worried look in Sella. "Shirou-sama, you just avoided being captured from the monster- surely you can see why attacking him now could be problematic, and we should retreat before-"

"I-I can't let Zouken continue to be without making sure he's dead," Shirou interjected with a serious tone. "He can attack again, with more strength. And he would be serious because he wants me."

"Imprudent. You can't hurt him," Leysritt pointed out calmly and mechanically, to which the redhead nodded while bringing up the seals to sight.

"Normally it would be the case. But I have these," The boy muttered. Sella frowned at the papers, picking one and starting to study the magical seal in it. Slowly, her eyes started to widen in surprise and awe.

"This- This is something that the Church would usually use… but it's structure is different from what the Einzbern family is accustomed to. It's refined," The young maid commented with a nod. "But… Shirou-sama, I have to ask. Where did you get these seals?"

The question had some tension and hints of uneasiness, which the boy picked up almost instantly as he looked at Sella.

"Someone I think I can trust," He replied with a quiet tone. "She hates Zouken, and she seems willing to form a temporary alliance to see him dead."

"Who is 'she', Shirou?" Liz inquired with a note of curiosity, drawing a nervous look on Shirou's face. Francesca had been quite insistent about keeping her identity a secret, just for the sake of avoiding any 'unwanted home invasions'.

It had been the only request forwarded by the young woman, and he had no reasons to break it with how helpful she was being. So he merely sighed and shook his head. "I can't say."

"Shirou-sama-" Sella tried to press on the matter, but the redhead shook his head again.

"I can only say that I trust her. She asked for her identity to be kept secret and I will respect that wish."

There was some uneasy silence, but eventually both maids nodded at the boy's stubborness.

"Still, Shirou-sama, I think it would be best to regroup with Kiritsugu-san and form a better plan-" The Einzbern tried to plea, but those words fell deaf to Shirou's ears.

"The more time we spend hesitating, the more Zouken will make plans to attack us. I bet he has something planned to attack where Kiritsugu had taken the others and… wait, do you two know what happened to Illya and-"

"Lady Illya, Caren-san, and Rin-san are safe and with Kiritsugu as we're speaking," Sella interjected, bringing relief to the boy but not before continuing with this thought. "And this is why I suggest we return back to Kiritsugu-san and prepare a combined attack. While you're strong, Shirou-san-"

"Two."

…

"What?" The young woman asked with confusion over the sudden word.

"There are two individuals that could die if I don't act now, if I wait for too long," The redhead insisted with utmost seriousness. "They- I might not know them, but I'm sure they are innocents. I can't just let them die because- because I hesitate."

The two maids shared a nervous look, with Leysritt actually appearing a little concerned by this development.

"Can you explain more, Shirou-sama?"

"I think- I think Zouken might have hidden his soul in one of his two grandchildren," He answered readily. "They are safe right now, but I know that he's searching them. And the one that is currently keeping them away from him had mentioned that she can't keep them around for too long."

"Is 'she' the same person that gave you these seals?"

Shirou nodded, but now he was focused on the mansion once again. "And I think I should be going. I took too much time talking, and you two should return to kiritsugu to tell him that-"

"We're coming too," Liz interrupted with a solemn tone.

…

"Leysritt-"

"We will come with you, Shirou-sama," Sella interjected, agreeing with her 'sister' for once. "And that's not up to debate."

The sheer determination from the duo made the redhead concede that their support would actually reduce the risks of getting hurt or killed during the attack. Yet, the worry of the two getting hurt was there to keep him wary about accepting at once.

Yet, with the odds stacking against him, Shirou decided to accept begrudgingly the offer from both maids.

"Still, we need to find a way to enter inside," The boy muttered, switching the topic elsewhere and on the main problem. "The main gates aren't viable as far as-"

"There is an opening through the wall on the left side. It was hidden with a bush," Sella interrupted again, this time sighing as she remembered about it. "Leysritt and I have been circling the district for some time now and… that spot was one of the few things we noticed."

"I noticed it," Liz corrected with a hint of smug in her tone. "You just wanted to find Shirou-kun."

The teasing managed to snatch a blush out of the serious maid, which subsequently saw the two women bickering one against the other as they all started to make their way where the 'hidden entrance was'.

_**But while Shirou and the two Einzbern seemed so sure that their conversation had gone unheard, one of the Crest Worms that had been patiently waiting by one of the bushes nearby ended relying this new information to the owner of the house.**_

* * *

Ten minutes.

**[Warning! You are entering a Special Area!]**  
**Enemies in this Area: Burrowing Worms, Bladed Wing Insects, (Unknown).**  
**Rank: C+/A-**

That's how long peace had lasted by the time the three had stepped within the perimeter of the manor. Tension had reigned for some time as they had started to make their way towards the main entrance, expecting some attacks to happen quite soon because of the light boundary fields being triggered.

So when the waves of worms started to rush towards them from the near trees and bushes, Shirou's projected blades quickly started to sever the first round of insects that were unfortunately close enough for the boy to intervene.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 22 – Exp: 12,79%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1050/1050 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 2080/2100 (+100) (90 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 38+1**  
**INT: 39+1**  
**AGI: 42+1**  
**WIS: 36+1**  
**VIT: 43+1**  
**CHA: 31+1**  
**LUK: 32+1**

Sella kept away from directly engaging the small creatures, leaving the close encounters to Leysritt and Shirou as the spell-specialist offered long-ranged support with her basic Einzbern Magecraft. Silver constructs formed, some resembling closed fists slamming onto multiple fiends at once, while others were bird-like figures that rushed to explode onto the flying monsters.

The horde was merciless, but surprisingly enough not as aggressive as the young Emiya remembered it being from the previous experience.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 24 – Exp: 1,54%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1100/1100 (+100)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 2064/2200 (+200) (95 (+10)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 39+2**  
**INT: 40+2**  
**AGI: 43+2**  
**WIS: 37+2**  
**VIT: 44+2**  
**CHA: 32+2**  
**LUK: 33+2**

The more he fought, the stronger he got. The stronger he got, the more easily he could deal with the obstacles between them and the entrance of the house.

The logic was something he had got stuck in his mind since the attack, and it was driving him to slay as many monsters as he could in this peculiar situation. He knew that Zouken hadn't shown his full might yet.

He had read about this in that videogame magazine. Bosses tended to show a fraction of their power when they encountered the protagonists early on, and their full power was sometime difficult to match even with the highest level attainable in that specific area.

Grinding became a secondary priority, one that served to aid the completion of the main mission against the final evil hiding within this building.

Some Bladed Insect Wings rushed from the flanks toward him, soaring around Liz to rush the boy.

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 26 – Exp: 7,22%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1200/1200 (+100)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 2021/2400 (+200) (105 (+10)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 41+2**  
**INT: 42+2**  
**AGI: 45+2**  
**WIS: 39+2**  
**VIT: 46+2**  
**CHA: 34+2**  
**LUK: 35+2**

Faster, harder. He needed to be quick with his footing and merciless with his strike. He was making progress, and the distance left to reach the front doors was quite abysmal.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 27 – Exp: 0,22%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1300/1300 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 2003/2600 (+100) (115 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 43+1**  
**INT: 44+1**  
**AGI: 47+1**  
**WIS: 41+1**  
**VIT: 48+1**  
**CHA: 36+1**  
**LUK: 37+1**

Leysritt slammed the doors open, with the rest of the group rushing inside before the woman closed those onto the approaching bugs.

The loud noise of the resilient doors closing, with various critters slamming uselessly onto those, granted the group a brief moment of reprieve before they turned their attention to the inner sections of the building.

…

There was an eerie silence that kept their guards up as they explored the seemingly desolate house. The place just looked in a decadent shape. The color of the walls had faded in darker tones, with the old furniture bringing up a taste of rot that just rouse uneasiness over the overall sight of the nearby room.

Shirou blinked, his tense stare scanning around as he expected for Zouken to make use of the small indoor to make a tough last stand within his own home. Yet the quietness survived for much longer… and the noise that interrupted it was even more unexpected.

A distant cackle echoed deeper in the main hallway. It seemed to come… from very far. The odd phenomenon got a shiver out of the Gamer, but the boy didn't falter as he started to take steps toward the end of that corridor.

He couldn't see Liz's and Sella's faces since both women were keeping close behind and away from his sight. Yet he was already expecting some reluctance from the latter at the thought that this sounded more like an expected 'visit' from the old Matou.

Eventually they reached the small staircase section that led upstairs… and downstairs. There was a basement.

Mustering up every single hint of courage left within his mind, Shirou resumed walking shortly after the little discovery. The path downstairs proved to be as quiet as the previous moments, yet the even more closed space was incredibly unpleasant to go through without fearing for the worst.

The walk was quiet, yet the weight of their steps broke any possibility of gain some proper peace in that interlude between them and the final deed. The noise interrupting the cacophony of insects buzzing around, waiting patiently to finally strike.

Yet none attacked just yet, and they waited even when Shirou and the two maids arrived in the middle of the basement. The room was humongous, seemingly having been built with the very stone of the underground section. It looked empty, it felt dull.

The cackle resumed, this time focused in the dark figure forming by the multitude of Crest Worms intensifying into forming the decaying form of Zolgen Makiri.

He smiled deviously. "Shirou Emiya. I suppose I should've expected a little earlier than I did that you wouldn't have resisted attacking me once again."

"You are a monster, Zouken," The boy yelled back, straightening his guard at the incoming fight. "And I will make sure that you pay for your crimes."

A malicious chuckle was his reaction. "Truly childish. But what was I expecting from a spoiled brat?"

Various Blade Winged Insects rushed from the various windows and openings by the walls, busying the group almost instantly with how close they got to the trio.

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 28 – Exp: 31,66%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1350/1350 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1976/2700 (+100) (120 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 44+1**  
**INT: 45+1**  
**AGI: 48+1**  
**WIS: 42+1**  
**VIT: 49+1**  
**CHA: 37+1**  
**LUK: 38+1**

"To think that you seemed to have a good head on your shoulders. And yet you fail to see the futility of this little endeavor," The dangerous elder stated with some mirthfulness. "Right now, you're the greatest of fools."

At first the redhead considered those insults to be picked on the moment. To hold no major meaning within the real fight.

Yet there had been something odd about the behavior of the winged insects. They weren't outright trying to attack him. It had been a subtle twist that hadn't reached him up until this first swarm had been annihilated, but now he couldn't help but feel that there was something 'wrong' happening as they fought.

Before Shirou could've pondered more about this circumstance, his thoughts were interrupted by a wave of worms rushing his way. Memories of the previous case of getting overwhelmed were still fresh in his mind and soon the boy was delivering quick strikes at the approaching wave of worms.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 30 – Exp: 31,66%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1400/1400 (+100)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1976/2800 (+200) (125 (+10)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 45+2**  
**INT: 46+2**  
**AGI: 49+2**  
**WIS: 43+2**  
**VIT: 50+2**  
**CHA: 38+2**  
**LUK: 39+2**

Once more, the young Emiya noticed that the speed of the rushing insects wasn't as vehement as the attack at his home. Something was indeed wrong with what was happening, and the widening smile on Zouken's face told much about the predicament.

"I think this will be more than enough," The old Matou ultimately proclaimed with a happy sigh. "I think you're ready to be taken over."

...What?

Just as the old man finished with these words, the boy saw him vanish in a blink of an eye. Surprise and panic swelled at the same time as he tried to find where the bastard had gone. It was in that moment that Sella's voice gained his attention.

"Shirou-sama, to your left!"

Amber eyes snapped at the direction mentioned by the young woman and… Shirou felt paling before the sight of a humongous worm trying to pounce at him. It roared monstrously, trying to rush at him and push him to the ground.

But before the horrible creature had a chance to actually go through with these plans, the redhead pulled out one of the papers with the** Baptism Spell** and slammed it in its exposed torso.

The effect was immediate as the paper brightly exploded and corroded part of the large worm's body. It started to shriek in pain, rushing away before Shirou could've prepared a second paper to use.

It took it some moments, yet it slowly morphed back in the angry form of a certain old man.

"You- You got some dangerous artifact on you. Who was it? Kotomine?" The elder snarled in a mix of agony and fury. But Shirou was unable to fully understand why the deranged priest would have anything to do with this.

"A-As I've said. I'm here to end you once and for all, Zouken Matou!" The fact that the seal was working was undeniable, yet his bravado faltered a little as two notices popped in Game Boxes.

_**NEW MISSION!**_

**-Grand Finale-**

**Time Limit: 1 Day**

**The last major threat within the city is before your sight. Zolgen Makiri, former head of the once great Makiri Clan, is now facing you seriously. Beat Zouken to save Sakura and Shinji.**

**Objectives**

**Kill Zouken Matou!**

**Hints**

**Conventional Warfare doesn't work. Use the Baptism Spells to end the threat once and for all.**

**Reward**

**-ARC 1 is Concluded-**

**-Sakura Matou is saved-**

**-Shinji Matou is saved-**

**-Obtain New Secondary Title: Fuyuki's Youngest Protector-**

**-New Skill: (?)-**

**-Relationship with ? is elevated to 'Favorite Step-descendant'-**

**Name: Zouken Matou (Full Power)**

**Title: Head of the Matou Family**

**Age: ?**

**Level: 50**

**HP : 16000/16000**

**MP : ?**

The real battle started now!

More bugs rushed towards the trio, but Shirou decided to not let Zouken get away from close confrontations. The boy rushed as fast as he could and, surprisingly enough for both the elder and the boy, the redhead's speed had increased a lot since the last time he had engaged in a quick-paced brawl.

**-678HP!**

**HP: 15322/16000**

A red blur cleaved part of Zouken's torso, the decrepit corpse's eyes widening in evident fright as the pain made him hesitate in moving away from the youth. The paper slammed right by his left arm, the ensuing light burning into the Matou's side.

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**HP: 13322/14000**

Shirou's eyes widened in realization about what the effects of the spell seemed to be. Zouken had lost 2000 HP permanently!

The development was greeted with relief and renewed intensity as the young Emiya rushed to press on the advantage.

The elder spawned a few Blade Winged Insects, but all of them fell before Shirou's quick swings.

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**+1800 EXP!**

**-692HP!**

**HP: 12630/14000**

The final blow severed Zouken's scorching arm, sending it fly away and disintegrate as it fell ungraciously on the floor.

The pain looked unbearable for the walking corpse, but the paper that landed on his back was what made him snap out of his pain-induced hesitation.

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**HP: 11322/12000**

More Blade Winged Insects, this time the swarm was far bigger and too quick to deal with as he was pushed back a little bit by the sudden appearance of so many swift and small enemies at once.

Some of the stingers cut through his clothes, landing some damage in the process.

**-30HP!**

**-38HP!**

**-34HP!**

**HP: 1394/1500**

He could feel some pain, but it was nothing to compare to Zouken's trembling form. The elder was showing utmost anger at the fact he was slowly losing to a 'brat', but he proved to be smart enough to not attack with ferocity by rushing the young Emiya.

Crest worms formed two large swarms, trying to pincer Shirou as the boy prepared to make use of one of the papers. Francesca had mentioned to him that the Worms were part of Zouken, so if the boy used one of the seals on the mass of Worms, it would end up having some retaliations on the malicious elder.

The swarm on the right was faster and the redhead rushed the closest possible to slam the paper on the large mass of insects, before then rushing to the next one to do the same.

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**DING!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

**+1200 EXP!**

***Ding***

**[Status]**

**Name: Shirou Emiya**  
**Title: The Gamer**  
**Age: 7**  
**Level 31 – Exp: 14,41%**  
**Health Points (HP) : 1394/1500 (+50)**  
**Mana Points (MP) : 1912/3000 (+100) (135 (+5)MP per Min)**

**Attributes**

**POW: 47+1**  
**INT: 48+1**  
**AGI: 51+1**  
**WIS: 45+1**  
**VIT: 52+1**  
**CHA: 40+1**  
**LUK: 41+1**

The witch's theory ended up correct as both papers seemed to work on damaging Zouken even more.

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**HP: 7322/8000**

The Makiri's body was burning, its state morphing before the boy's eyes as the elder attempted to stabilize the situation by switching tactics. Gone was the human-like appearance of the monstrous figure, now replaced with a creature beyond anyone's imagination.

A carapace, a large set of maws, insect-like dark-blue eyes and… two large bug-like limbs replacing the man's arms. Soon, the abomination leaped forward in an absurd increase of speed. The surprising action caught Shirou off-guard, making him fall on the floor as the big mandibles of the monsters tried to dive down on him to take a bite.

**-800HP!**

**HP: 6522/8000**

But before the creature had any chance of doing so, the redhead slammed his left blade up through the insect's chin, pressing it away from reaching down on him. The panic, the pain, and the incapacity to go through with this plan seemed to further anger the transformed elder, pushing it to press into the blade just to end this battle with its conquest.

Shirou's strength was high, but the creature seemed to be stronger with how the boy was starting to lose that immediate stalemate. Just as the young Emiya thought that this was going to be it, he saw a bright silver fist slam to the side of the monster, sending it flying away from him… with three papers pressing now onto it.

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**Baptism Spell's effects applied!**

**HP: 522/2000**

And while fire erupted into the creature's entirety holding it from actually reacting at the sudden attack, The Gamer turned his attention to the general direction where the attack that had saved him had come from.

Sella looked fairly winded, the use of so much magical energy having taken a toll on her form, but she seemed to be faring quite well as she gave him a quick wave.

A loud and sickly cough urged Shirou to turn to see where the monster had landed, and once more Zouken Matou tried to stand up, bloody and burning, in his elderly form.

Standing up from the ground, the young Emiya advanced wit the last paper prepared to be used on the waning figure. **Shirou felt lighter as his mind started to grow fuzzier the more steps he took towards the old man.**

"T-To think that you, a mere orphan from the Holy Grail War, would've gone as far to eliminate one of the remaining creators of the system," The elder mused quietly, then letting out more coughs as 'Shirou' shook his head.

"**It would be wrong to consider you a creator with how disgracefully you've continued this travesty, Makiri,**" A stern voice erupted by the young Emiya. The familiar strictness was enough to make Zouken realize that instead of amber eyes, the boy now had a pair of dull red ones. "**I suppose it's only retribution to see your disappointing self disposed in such a manner.**"

"I thought you would've been a little less… keen to accept something different than our traditions, Justeaze," Zolgen sighed tiredly, his body close to collapse together with his mind and soul. "You were always the more reactionary of the group."

"**People tends to change when they are offered decades of silence spent thinking. I saw many mistakes being committed. Some from my own creations. And I think it's about time to start from zero,**" The 'Ghost' replied with a shrug. "**And that means killing you and end the tainted traditions.**"

"It's kind of… ironic. I'm actually glad that you're the one putting me out of my misery instead of the brat you're using-"

"**Controlling as of now, but no, I don't plant to meddle too much in the newer world,**" The 'Einzbern' interjected with a sigh. "**To be fair, you were kind of a favorite of mine. You were goofy, but not too much and you did have a good dream to follow. Then… you went creepy with Crest Worms and shady basements.**"

"W-Worms are cool. It's not my fault you preferred doll to real beings."

Zouken was kind of impressed by the speed and might with which the final seal was slammed onto his forehead, killing him instantly.

"**I should've expected that one. But… I think my work here is done**."

'Shirou' turned to see both Leysritt and Sella pace towards him, making the 'Ghost' sigh at the situation it was now.

"**A pity that Acht hadn't truly put these two to service. Sure, they weren't ready for the whole Heaven's Feel but… they did work well together,**" The voice mused as it finally dwindled out of the boy's bopdy. "**Hopefully, things will fix up better once the last thorn is truly removed from Fuyuki's butt.**"

Without saying anything else, Shirou felt blinking as he fell facefirst to the ground, his mind going blank and unconscious almost instantly as both maids rushed at the sudden action.

_**Meanwhile, a certain old Einzbern woman couldn't help but ponder from her 'newest pedestal' if taking over Shirou's body counted more as possession or some advanced manipulation. In the end, she shrugged. Maybe it's both.**_

* * *

**AN**

**My hands and butt hurts. I really need to change the pillow that I use with my wooden chair (spoiler alert, I don't have a Gaming chair cuz I never felt the necessity to buy one.). And now… yes, Arc 1 is coming to conclusion.**

**And some would ask… and now? What about Grail wars? What about Kirei? What about Gilgamesh?**

**...There is still an inter-arc chapter (which is next one) that will try to deal with the issue with Kirei. Gilgamesh will be essential for the next arc as he will have an essential role in the next Arc with the whole HGW. There will be new characters joining in from out of Fuyuki and… a little time-skip between arcs.**

**Nothing too big, but something to handle the fact that time rn is sluggish as hell. The pace need to pick up instead of being drown in utter boredom. I feel ya all about it, that's why I will see a change to that. **

**Will the time skip make new changes? Not truly- not in the Game aspect at least. Something about house arrangement, some people's issues slowly being fixed in the background (but not outright fixed, just the process going forward).**

**Lastly, some updates over the 'Gaming System'. The 'Game' will gain an update next arc, I can't say how and why but… it will get an 'improving patch'. Also, to help some readers to understand Shirou's stats… 50 is E-Rank. I can't say where D-Rank starts, but I can already offer 'when' E-Rank begins.**

**And after this… off to bed~!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Deltadragon373****: Francesca Prelati, or Francesco/Francois Prelati, was a heretic priest that was known for his thirst for Dark/Hellish Magic. In the Nasuverse, Francesca is one of the many reincarnation/resurrections of the man after facing several deaths against multiple high-tier individuals like Zelretch and Aoko Aozaki. The book Gilles (Caster) uses is hers (which is why it's called the Book of Prelati).**

**Toa Solaric****: That and much more in the next chapter!**

**Rider126****: Yes, she is meant to be like this.**

**LukeSky001****: More like a low-key moron at understanding love. She isn't all about baka, but if someone/something catches her attention like that, she might try to bite those.**

**Shaqxcrafter****: Not yet, but I will do it once I wake up from sleep~.**


	33. Madness (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Madness (4)**

* * *

It was the morning of a pleasant day… and things weren't going as smooth as he had hoped for. The gun aimed right between his eyes should've terrified a normal human.

But Kirei was far from normal. Especially with the kind of twisted soul that he had been living with since his birth. Yet the true reason that got him to actually be calm before the furious and deadly stare of his one and true rival was connected to the godly chains currently wrapping painfully around his arms and waist.

He was forced to kneel as he stood a couple of steps beyond the gates that led to the frontal courtyard that was the Emiya household. The place had been keep deserted for the reminder of the previous day, enough for the Magus Killer to elaborate if Zouken had been truly killed or not.

To be fair, he should've expected this kind of escalation to happen. Maybe it was the nervousness of his pawns getting dissolved because of the young and unconscious redhead that was currently being guarded by quite the cast of individuals. Even Caren, albeit a fragile but intelligent child, was placing herself as an obstacle to any attempt from the fake priest.

Quite the annoying sight, but there was hardly anything he could've done with the circumstances that literally brought him there. He had tried to play the King, to avoid getting slaughtered by the need to ditch him away to pursue a brighter path, and the King had 'humbled' him with the ultimate humiliation.

His plans to have Zouken becoming the 'greater evil' and thus lessen the perception of hatred the Emiya family had over Kirei had back-fired horribly when Gilgamesh had decided to personally intervene and muster up a way to outmaneuver the now uneasy-looking man.

The prime element of his success, the key to survival, had been little Sakura's plight. The young girl had been with Gilgamesh prior to the priest's capture, and she was standing beside her 'older' brother as she nervously tried to understand the ongoing standoff. He could still remember Tokiomi bemusing the dreadful fate he had commented his youngest daughter to, but he could also remember the lack of initiative to protect the child from the horrible demise.

A powerful man, Tokiomi Tohsaka was still a worthless human being. It didn't take Kirei long to understand where the 'might' truly came from. It wasn't his magical power that had set him as an influential individual within Clock Tower and the Church.

The greatest aid came from his ancestor and the founder of the Toshaka Clan, Nagato Tohsaka. The man had brilliantly created a harmonious congregation for both opposed sides. He had been there to exploit hate and cravings from the two factions in the Moonlit world to build up a political power-base. Tokiomi had inherited the mighty machine, but he quickly proved to be unable to withstand pressure from something as complicated and deadly as the Holy Grail War.

Despite the knowledge regarding Sakura's infestation and that he was the only one capable of solving this unpleasant issue, Kirei had overestimated his ability to avoid getting stomped by Gilgamesh's clairvoyance. The King's own Treasury and his greatest sword might represent some of the strongest Noble Phantasms within the range of Servants that could be conjured from the Throne of Heroes, but there was a single power that wasn't known to anyone that didn't have a chance to see it through.

Sha Naqba Imuru. The capacity to foresee the future, to predict the next moves of those acting around the golden-armored Archer.

It had been useful when the Servant had successfully belittled and played his first Master to give him utmost control. Then it was used to avoid the full control from the corrupted mud, leaving the King to deal only with the 'minor' hindrance of sustaining his unstable body with new energy from… unused cores.

Despite these distant musings, Kirei's mind was still directed at the present. Things weren't just going to favor him as they were now. He could see young Waver Velvet ready to snarl at the murderer of his former Servant, but such a distraction would only be scoffed and faced easily and without the disposal of the chains forcing him unarmed.

"Your demands-" Kiritsugu tried to say at Gilgamesh, only for the Archer to interrupt the Magus Killer with a snort.

"Are merciful considering the situation as it is," The blond rebuked with a tired tone. "Mind you, I'm not being kind over your plight, murderer. I want to see a new path unfold, and the only way to achieve so is by stay there and be there to guide the boy into the proper road of glory."

"What should make me believe you truly mean _well_?" The old Emiya commented dryly. "Kirei was your minion. You're deranged to think that-"

A couple golden portals opened by Gilgamesh, the prelude of a volley of blades from his seemingly-endless treasury.

"Spare me the stupid comments born from your demented brain, mongrel," The King of Heroes retorted with a hint of fury. "I've already showed you mercy by not striking you down like the insect you are. I'm well-aware of the contempt that a few among your group have in my regards, but I believe that the fact I've been diplomatic about this should've cleared any doubt of deception. Especially since I don't care for your survival or not."

Red eyes trailed away from the former mercenary and right beyond the entrance of the house, probably fixing his attention onto the precise direction where his target of interest was currently resting by.

"Shirou Emiya, as he is right now, has the chance of becoming much more than your feeble mind would comprehend. He can make good service of the disappointing state in which Humanity as a whole currently exist as," The Archer explained with a note of fascination. "But the very moment he is left without stern guidance, the kind of guidance you can't allow yourself to have to deal with an element that is well beyond your mental capacities, it will see the boy fall into two unpleasant routes that can end up with an early death."

"W-What?" It was Gray that exclaimed in shock, drawing Gilgamesh's attention to her. The King smiled, but it wasn't a normal one. It was a slightly irritated one.

"Your ancestor, the one that owns the majestic sword that still defies my desire of dominance, was once guided by someone that wanted to make her a hero, a submissive king to her own subjects. Terribly unacceptable," He dismissed coldly. "The foolish magician wasn't capable of realize that no one can actually unite heroism to the divine nature of kingship. A king rules as they see fit, but a common hero is a stupid mutt that can't live without the praise and selflessness of kind deeds."

…

"I-Is that connected to what-"

"Your Servant once said at the Banquet?" The King interjected, this time sporting some interest at the example. "Indeed. If there is something more than confidence that I can praise of that pathetic excuse of a ruler, it's the fact that he recognized that a King can't be a hero. Nor a hero can be a king."

"Aren't you the King of Heroes?" Kiritsugu inquired with a confused voice.

"I'm a King that ruled benevolently over the fief I considered mine. I considered all my subjects equal before my eyes, without allowing inefficiency to foster. There wasn't favoritism, and I curbed any clues of corruption developing within my advisors and priestesses," He described with pride. "I fend off against demons, I refused the Gods' wrath and prevented the fall of Uruk more than once. I managed to embody the nature of hero and king only because I followed diligently in keeping up with the latter figure rather than fawn over the _melodramatic _truth of heroism."

There was silence after this development was delivered. Not many were able to fully grasp the scope of the explanation, but Kirei had a gleam of what the King of Heroes wished to attain through careful talking.

While the golden-armored Archer was well-capable of slaughtering the group in front of him, and to kidnap his objective away from these people… there was the issue behind Shirou Emiya's own determination. If Gilgamesh went through with the massacre, he would be rendered incapable of influencing the redhead to accept the current state of things. It would be futile and particularly frustrating.

A grin almost appeared on the priest's face, but the man managed to restrain himself from flashing anything even so remotely worth of attention and hate. Sadly, someone had 'perceived' his mood and now two red orbs were glaring at him fiercely.

"Don't think just yet that your life has been spared indefinitely, Kotomine," The golden-haired Servant reminded with a stern tone. "Your worth to me is restricted to the surgery needed to cure the girl's issue. Once that is solved, your fate shall be judged..." The King's voice trailed up until his stare found a golden-eyed pair of jewels staring back at him. "By your own daughter."

Kirei frowned at the decision, but he soon noticed the surprised eyes of the girl now directed at him. He expected silence at this, he expected fright at trying to keep a stare with him. But once again, his daughter surprised him by scowling at the offer, turning her attention back to Gilgamesh.

"I don't want that responsibility."

The response elicited a rare perplexed look from the blond, but soon the stare hardened in an annoyed frown. There was much room for misunderstandings and mistakes, but there was no attempt to end the conversation there. It wouldn't just fit well with the intrigue displayed up until now by the Servant.

"And why so? Is that a slight against me? Or does the idea of judging your depraved father weight on your soul so much?"

Her eyes were back at the priest. Claudia's eyes, he almost mislabeled in his thoughts when he noticed the renewed staring. It was almost _poetic _how it was his own child that was going to bring an end to him. Kirei had tried his best to keep her away from ever discovering the kind of monster he was, and now things were set against him.

"He isn't worth it… your highness."

Cold, curt and… painful. Surprisingly enough, the lack of warmth in her tone in addressing him and to give him such a dreadful comment was enough to rouse surprise within the priest's core.

His heart was beating a little faster, but he knew it was the corruption growing impatient with what was going on. The inner darkness was following this situation with gleeful attention, but the extent of what was happening countered and overwhelmed the interest with disgust and uneasiness.

Gilgamesh… didn't sound like an ally to it anymore. The mere thought should've lifted confusion and shock at the fact that the King of Heroes had managed to shake off the allure of the corrupted mud. But it was the dread of facing a quick death that troubled the Kotomine the most.

"Polite," The Archer remarked with a tiny smirk. "And I find your response particularly fit with the mess your 'parent' is. It would be a waste to draw enough strength to strike him down and… perhaps he could be put to other uses with the proper manners."

...What?

Before Kirei could've genuinely inquired about this unnerving situation, the King nodded to his own proposal, still addressing the little girl. "Caren Hortensia, please approach. I wish to bestow you with a gift and a responsibility."

The girl tensed up at the comment, and the others took guarded stances at the last words coming from the golden-armored Archer. Gilgamesh merely scoffed at the defensive reaction from the group, and shook his head.

"I can guarantee that the gift shan't be a slight to the child."

There was no further request, and his stare intensely drew back to the little girl. Caren tensed up before the pressure, but she didn't falter nor shiver at the implicit demands behind the 'assurances for the King'.

Still, she moved towards the Servant, her pace slow and uneasy. The group stared at the scene with conflicted thoughts. The two other girls were almost ready to intervene and stop their friend from going through that dangerous approach. Yet they didn't act to these thoughts and the child stood in front the blond with a nervous posture.

Something appeared in Gilgamesh's right hand, and the King showed that it was a small dagger. It reminded the priest of a simple knife used to cut Parmesan cheese because of the tiny form of the blade.

"Present one of your palms," The blond calmly requested, waiting for a moment as Caren slowly complied to the order. The silence was incredibly heavy despite the lack of true violence, but then surprise filled Kirei's mind as the dagger quietly but surely started to cut across the child's small hand… but instead of leaving an injury behind, the cut would close at the retreating blade.

The knife's edges were glowing a warm red, and Gilgamesh returned his attention to Kirei, ignoring the girl's shocked look as she studied the lack of wound by her palm. "Before I cut the connection to the abomination that has been trying to take over my mind… tell them that I will see it for myself to erase their existence the moment they will be the most terrified possible."

His heart's pace picked up swiftly and painfully, enough to make his body tense at the agony… but the reaction from the mud barely held a candle to what the King of Heroes did next. It was a golden blur, but the Servant's left arm slammed from behind and deep through Kirei's back. He could feel his heart reached and squeezed by the cold hold of the Archer shortly after his rib cage had collapsed under that brutal rush.

He didn't even have the time to scream at the horrible display of gore, the rest of the people in there staring at the scene with pure horror at the dreadful sight, and his body went limp as he felt the aching and throbbing heart_ getting squished_ by the unforgiving grasp of the King.

His mind went blank, his emotions died instantly as he felt the entirety of his life squashed the very moment the important organ was destroyed once again.

There was just a thud, then nothingness.

…

…

…

_**He felt cold, but far from leaving his corpse as Gilgamesh plunged the dagger behind his head. At first he felt nothing from it, his touch having been numbed by the killing blow… but then unpleasant warmth reached from within and spread to his entirety.**_

Kirei slowly stood up, his mind aching as he couldn't remember exactly what was going on and… what's going on? He blinked, he tensed up and… he looked at the people staring at him with morbid shock. Confusion swelled within his chest as the young priest tried to make sense of what was happening and-

He froze as he spotted the young girl staring at him with her jaws dropping in a display of fright. Claudia? No, that couldn't be. He knew that his wife had died. But the snow-white hair, the honey-colored eyes and… that was his nose?

…

Panic replaced confusion. "C-Caren? Wh-What are you-"

"Hahahaha!"

Kirei's fright froze at the familiar laugh, and his wide eyes turned to look at… Archer?

"To think that the shock would've made this happen… _again!_" As he concluded this sentence, there was another round of laughing. "Hopefully, this prove as entertaining as what had happened last time."

Again? Last time? What kind of madness was Gilgamesh sprouting about? Where was Tokiomi? What about his father and-

His trail of thoughts was interrupted again as he noticed another familiar face staring at him with a mix of confusion and hatred. He trembled, remembering perfectly about the dossier about him.

Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer. Why was he there? Why was Gilgamesh talking to him and… who were these other people? Other Masters? What about the War and-

"Still, your gift has been delivered. Kirei Kotomine shall be your servant until you desire so. Once his futility has expired by your own demand, he shall leave the realm of the living and never linger any further in this world."

_**...WHAT?!**_

* * *

This… wasn't the usual heaven-on-Earth garden that Shirou had grown accustomed to in these circumstances. The place looked to be a somewhat familiar courtyard, the walls around the area reminding him of a castle.

His mind would've easily connected these thoughts and probably have discerned where was this place… yet there was something else that was currently distracting him from making any serious thoughts over the matter.

The embrace was also familiar, yet the giggle and the cooing coming from the woman currently hugging and twirling around with him was complicating his capacity to make sense over this insanity.

White-haired, red eyes. The Gamer could recognize the elements that were mostly known about the Einzbern family, yet he was fairly sure this was neither Sella nor Leysristt. Both maids had specific elements that differentiate them from each other and… this stranger had elements from both.

Long hair and… a noticeable bosom.

"Uhhh," He would let out a few noises to try and get the woman's attention, yet the lady was far too endeared by the aimless activity to truly pay him any attention. And in that iron-like grip that was pushing him more and more in that cushioned chest, Shirou couldn't do much but hope for someone to wake him up from that comfy nightmare.

His prayers were mostly hopeless considering how there was nobody else around to interrupt that one-sided dance, but then… something did change within the scenery.

It was subtle at first, but the redhead spotted several pink flowers appear by the edges of the courtyard. Then the sudden blossom spread up to the center of the clearing, right where the woman was giddily 'playing' with him.

Footsteps approached, and a familiar huffing was heard by the two of them as a certain white-haired magician decided to finally barge into that strange scene. Merlin looked mildly irritated by the situation, but his furious state was softened by the calm-looking Fou nestled by his shoulder.

The woman stopped. Her body tensing up as she finally noticed the irked wizard giving her a stern look. Still, her hold over Shirou intensified, as if to challenge the magician. At first there was silence between the two adults, but soon enough the woman broke the ice.

"Merlin."

"Justeaze."

Both addressed each other with a similar amount of poison, as if opposed to one another. The redhead couldn't tell whenever or not it was some serious opposition or something childish, yet he could feel from Fou's placidity that the situation wasn't anything to be worried about.

So he kept at ease as the two exchanged irritated looks. It didn't take long for them to finally rekindle the exchange of 'blows'.

"I see that you've finally managed to get through with one of your little objectives, fraulein," Merlin commented with irritation. "By exploiting a situation that could've killed young Shirou."

_Justeaze _scoffed at the jab thrown at her. "As if you haven't done worse. Like sending him in an errand to deal with the current descendant of your failed project," She retorted. "But differently from yourself, I had some contingencies to keep him safe from true danger."

"He was almost kidnapped by-"

"Differently from what you think, I had plans over that very circumstance too," The woman didn't let the magician finish his reprimand, a small smile adorning her beautiful face. "I've yet to fail him, but you still deem me unworthy of trust in helping him grow and become a beacon of hope."

...What were they talking about?

Shirou was confused by the turn this conversation was taking, yet he couldn't do much as the two continued with their heated discussion. Things sure weren't getting peaceful in that pretty place now.

"You've _yet to fail?!_ What about the Grail? What about the 'family' you've left behind?!" Merlin pointed out, his low end of the staff slamming twice to highlight the frustration in these words. "And don't think I'm just trying to keep you out of this because of mere paranoia. I know what you can do if given too much control over The Game. You need to be monitored."

"As if you can actually put a limit on my capacity to do things through the Game, half-Incubus," Justeaze chided softly. "While you might be older than me and more experienced with Magic, I've long elaborated something that can't be comprehended by those of the old ordainment. Something that was finalized by the memories I've received from the Lesser Grail of the Fourth War."

At that the young Emiya blinked in recognition, remembering about this individual from his discussions with Kiritsugu, Illya and the maids. A kind mother that was meant to be the sacrificial lamb to the twisted ritual of wishcraft.

"Are you talking about... Irisviel?"

In a moment of brief silence, the two adults finally remembered that they weren't alone in that precise moment. Red eyes widened in sheepish realization before the woman gave a nod to the boy.

"Yes, that was her name. I suppose little Illya told you about her?"

Shirou nodded silently, letting the lady sigh at the curt response as she elaborated the followup to it.

"Well, Irisviel was… quite quirky," The founder of the Einzbern Clan started to explain. "She was inquisitive over the world outside of the castle and one of the few things she discovered in her first few days of peace in Fuyuki Town was… the local arcade."

"She… learned about games?"

That could explain why the overall system was just like a JRPG but… why? Why would this be important to the construction of something that was meant to change things? What could make a game-based system help in 'helping' with Magecraft?

"She did a little more than learn. Admittedly, modern games are… endearing. Simple but incredibly satisfying," Justeaze answered with a grin. "Still, what truly makes the Game unique compared to previous attempts to create a true mystery out of simple magecraft is… the Quest section."

"More like the blatant exploitation of a rule that survived the Age of Gods," Merlin reminded with a sigh. "You were just lucky enough to find this hypothetical road to the Root. Then you used a system that worked on abusing Gaia's ingrained mentality of action equal a specific reaction-"

"While also altering which reaction an action can make- That isn't an easy feat. Don't diminish my genius just because I did something you've tried and failed to achieve," The Einzbern interjected coolly. "Or maybe it has to do to the fact that Shirou will easily surpass Artoria with the path before him?"

...Artoria? Wasn't that the true name of King Arthur?

"As if I would go that far to regret what was done- It was a must! Something that couldn't have been avoided despite my reluctance. The world needed hope."

"And you decided to bring 'hope' by pushing a young girl to delete her own identity for the sake of creating a perpetual idea of heroism," Justeaze almost growled while saying this. "You're so stuck in your own pretentious self that you've yet to accept the fact that your current imprisonment was warranted by your own actions."

…

As Merlin keep quiet at the remarks, the woman turned her attention back to Shirou, this time her face displaying a sad expression.

"And now… let's talk about what will happen from now on," She muttered quietly, drawing a curious and confused blink from Shirou.

"W-What do you mean?"

The Einzbern sighed. "Shirou, how old are you?"

…

What was she trying to say with that?

"I'm… I'm seven. But why do you-"

"While I understand this might surprise you- especially after so many dangerous situations had happened in the last few months, I want you to know that what I'm about to say isn't meant to be a lecture or… some attempt to diminish your accomplishments. Actually, I can say you make me and many others proud of what you've done with the Game," Justeaze started to explain with a nod. "But as much as I'm happy for the leap you've made from the way you were at the very beginning, I've to beg you to not push yourself too much with the Game. To train too much- nor try to breakthrough the limitations you might encounter along the way."

She squeezed him closer, forcing him to frown both at the words and the followup action. "B-But why?"

"The reason why I've given you more than just the Quest System is correlated to the fact that you've been bestowed with the important job of preserving the System from ever falling into malicious hands. The Game… is a measure to prevent the loss of the Mystery. This is the chance for the world to not die in a couple of decades from now, and this is why I'm giving you this discussion. You're already a hero to the world as a whole."

… "You don't want me to… become like Artoria?"

"Artoria was a flawed case. Someone that could've been helped way before her own fall," The woman replied while giving a quick glare to a distracted Merlin. "But no. I know that you wouldn't have the chance to experience her specific plight."

"So… what? What can't I do with the Game?" The boy finally asked. His mind was failing to grasp the uneasy mess created by the Einzbern, yet he could feel that it had something to do about overusing the Game or something similar to that.

"You can technically do everything _and more _with it," Justeaze commented with a sigh. "But the Game itself is limited by the very rule it's based from. Everything has a price. May it be something material or something abstract. Sometimes the price is made by objects… or deeds."

"Just like Quests?"

She nodded. "Just like those- which is why I've based the idea of manipulating a Mystery behind this very concept. The World - The Will of the Planet at least – recognize this element as part of the Natural Laws that dictate the existence of modern Magecraft." There was a pause, her red eyes staring away for a moment as she thought of what to say next. "But while the project is ambitious and, most of all, important to restore Magic to the world, I ask you to not put yourself at risk because you wish to make the difference in saving people."

… "I will not stop saving people-"

"And that's not what I'm asking you to do," She chided softly, squeezing him in the embrace. "But I want to at least remind you that it takes a single mistake to jeopardize the world around you. If you believe that you can save someone, and I don't mean just by heart but also by logic, then you can go through with these plans without me ever questioning your own perception of hero. Still, I want you to promise me that you will not devolve your life from now on in just learning how to play the 'Game'. I want you to bond more with your friends and… be a child."

"I… I don't want to sound ruse," Shirou remarked quietly. "But I lost my childhood when the fire-"

"When I saved you, I saw a young boy close to death," Justeaze reminded calmly. "I didn't save you for you to become a Soldier. I don't want you to make the Game your first priority. I don't wish for you to think of it like that."

"But- But what about Zouken and-"

"Zolgen Makiri, Jubstacheit von Einzbern and… Kirei Kotomine. They were all dangerous threats within your own home, Shirou," Merlin interrupted, seemingly done with his own inner musings. "Mind you, there is still the issue presented by the Grail. But right now you're not prepared to take on the threats lurking by the Grail's holding grounds, and the Grail itself can't be activated before a couple of years from now had passed."

Now things were starting to make sense. Shirou was still confused over some topics, but he felt that he was getting close to the truth.

But just as he prepared to inquire some more about this conversation, the young Emiya felt the world starting to crumble around him. He knew he was waking up and…

Wait, what did Merlin mean that Kotomine wasn't a problem anymore?

* * *

**AN**

**To those wondering about Kirei's current situation:**** Kind of like an Ainsworth Doll, but his essence is tied to Caren's current one. He can produce energy through his own Circuits, but the new 'bond' makes it so that the girl has the final say in whatever he does around. Why an Amnesia? There is a funny answer and a serious one – 1) Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper (Businessman Kirei was created by Caren- kind of ironic to replicate the situation now); 2) Emotional growth for Caren!**

**Justeaze telling Shirou to 'slow down':**** This doesn't mean that Shirou will not advance from now on, but that he will be limited from Leveling up too quickly. While Justeaze mentioned 'childhood' as a reason, the truth is much bigger: Important People are noticing that something is happening in Japan. People that could make trouble with their mere presence around Shirou.**

**P.S. Justeaze and Merlin's estimations might about the Grail be dashed away in a chapter or two. Can't make any promises just yet.**

**Last but the least:**** I've been thinking about creating a Twitter account to post news over my updates, warn about delays or situations, and other stuff (I dunno myself, I might entertain Curious Cat stuff too). It's not important for this to be done, I understand that many don't have Twitter because of how much crap has been going in there in the last few months, but I wish to bring up the fact that notifying my readers when I find myself incapable of writing chapters can be… difficult on some platforms. I leave you this little situation, I hope I receive some feedback so I can move to deal with the problem.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Surya****: Maybe she will be there. I don't know yet.**

**ServantDreamer****: I understand it might be repetitive in the way I'm doing that, but considering the biweekly updates, I tend to forget the current stats of Shirou, and I don't to mess up with the overall data of the situation.**

**LegendaryMob****: There is a fun-wagon filled with Fluff coming up by the first chapters of Arc2. But I guess it can get pretty dull when I focus too much on the Gaming part and on the Protagonist. I understand the situation, but I plan to solve this soon.**

**Isaac LB****: Luck stat isn't about Life Luck, but Battle Luck (The one correlated to Crits and Loot Rarity).**


	34. School Days (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**ARC 2 - Chapter 1: School Days (1)**

* * *

Three months had passed from what could be considered one of the strangest months Fuyuki had been the grounds for.

The Emiya 'family', having acquired even more members in those few weeks, had long regained a semblance of peace as the 'final' issue in their lives had perished.

Many of the inhabitants were still having some trouble to properly understand the interesting group of people making part of that spacious household, but just a few could actually understand the sheer complexity and mystery that the entirety of that house was surrounded in.

Despite the overall sense of confusion, Shirou still couldn't help but be happy with how most of the things had ended up getting resolved. Starting from one of the pressing issues that had taken him time to fix rather than his unique abilities.

After months of being helped around and being carefully pushed into making some progress with her mental regression, Aoi had made serious steps in the right direction. While the lady was still incapable of entertaining long conversations, she was now able to speak a couple of words. Nothing much coherent but still enough to make her thought understood by her interlocutors.

Rin was the one that monopolized her attention once this milestone was reached, with the young girl obtaining a sliver or more to her usual cheerfulness. The edges of her personality, those that were connected to her general distrust for people, had gone softer and more refined. She still had a fiery and quick temper, but it was somehow mellowed by the bizarre lifestyle that was now her present.

The twin-tailed Tohsaka would allow only a couple of individuals to interact with her mother, with a priority for either Shirou, Sakura, and Waver.

With the young redhead being the main catalyst of her remaining parent's recovery, and someone that Aoi had slowly started to approach with motherly terms. It was… fairly awkward at first. Since the green-haired woman had yet to return to her 'prime' self, her understanding of affection was incredibly childish.

Nothing that the Gamer was incredibly shy about considering how much time had passed since he got to know the lady, and how much had gone by since he had grown accustomed to her quirky mannerism.

Sakura was actually a fair decision. With the younger girl being her former sister, Rin was all too interested in seeing the shy girl returned back as a 'proud member' of the Tohsaka clan. The situation was… fairly uneasy since the plum-haired girl didn't know what to do about such an offer.

She was freed from the Worms because of Kirei (which was still odd to digest even now that months had passed since Caren was 'gifted' the dangerous priest), and she was left in an emotional and psychological limbo.

The issue wasn't that she was unwilling to return in their family, but rather she was unwilling to think back about what had drove her out from them. The horror of being consumed by the Worms… Kiritsugu had just mentioned to him the full extent of what Zouken could do. It was sickening, and the cruelness only added a stronger amount of worry towards the young girl.

Rin had reacted poorly to that 'refusal', but her mind just hadn't conceded her one of the usual outbursts. She was still angry, but the one thing that spoke the loudest was the tears that had fallen at that soft denial.

Sakura was confused, but sad. And still incredibly confused.

She was aimless now that Zouken was dead as she was stolen from the first purpose a person should have. A family.

To her, both Rin and Aoi, were but strangers that had rejected her once. She faulted them, but would never say it out loud.

Her spirit dwindled to a flickering light, Shirou found himself staring at a tragic mirror. The horror of the fire… it was still there.

The screams, the pain, the burns, the smoke…

Death tasted odd. And he was sure that Sakura had the chance of feeling that dreadful sensation too because of the unfairness of how things had gone by.

Instead of letting silence devour the entire effort put forward by the broken family to try and return whole, the young Emiya had decided to make a move and bring both girls close to each other.

Rin almost yelped at the sudden push that saw her softly slamming onto Sakura, but her sister seemed quite restrained with her own surprise. Before both could've asked for answers behind that sudden action, Shirou muttered a single word.

"Hug."

It sounded so stupid. It sounded so overly-childish. But the redhead had noticed a curious gleam coming from the mostly impassive eyes that were Sakura's.

In fact, before the twin-tailed girl had the chance to protest at that sudden demand, she stopped as her younger sibling wrapped her smaller arms around her waist. With her blue eyes widening at the quiet but genuine embrace, some understanding flared from within her mind.

There was silence at first, but soon much to the surprise of the rest of the occupants to the room, Aoi had moved from her seat and crouched down in a tentative hold to grasp both her daughters.

The floodgates broke at that point, with even Sakura crying at the 'strange warmth' coming from her chest. She thought it being the worms, but it was too nice to be the hideous creatures.

At that point, Shirou was already out of that room and leaving the three individuals enjoy that moment of familial bond on their own and away from any distractions.

Waver was an odd choice, but one that was motivated by the fact that he had a decent understanding and patience over people stuck in Aoi's state of mind. He was by no mean unable to snap at others at the minimal issue correlated to Magecraft, but after weeks spent in their home, the young Magus had also grown happier with how things were going for himself.

Just as promised, Kiritsugu had allowed the young man to pursue some oversea journeys to improve his cultural understanding of the world. At first, Waver aimed at the typical locations in Asia, but then he started to move westward, from the Middle East to Europe proper.

He used to return back in Fuyuki with souvenirs and curious trinkets he would end up buying during those trips… but that was until two weeks ago to the present day.

It was right as Waver was visiting Paris for a conference for Magi that he ended up facing quite the troublesome situation. Members of the Clock Tower had been searching for him for some time now, but their motivations turned out to be mildly annoying rather than bad.

With the death of his former teacher, the young Magus had been recognized as a good candidate to replace him in the Archibald Clan. And since 'Kayneth El-Melloi' having no proper heir and no designed replacement among his peers, Waver was the one that was chosen out of the rest of his classroom… because of his perfect grades back when he still studied in London.

Despite the reluctance to pursuit such a dangerous and frustrating role, Waver was ultimately convinced by a lengthy letter from Kiritsugu to first consider and possibly accept. It was an advice, one that was advanced on the fact that the Archibald Clan would've faced political death in case he refused and… Magi tended to swear serious oaths of revenge at the first slight thrown at them.

To allow this circumstance to happen? The Magus Killer wasn't ready to shelter the young man if things went south for him.

Between a hammer and a harder place, Waver had no choice but to 'accept' the 'kind' offer and present himself at a meeting set by the 'unready' heiress that had yet to reach the proper age to rule.

He was a regent, that much he had understood when he first discussed with Kiritsugu about it. But he soon found another reason to complain in the form of the arrogant twelve-years old girl that was Reines El-Melloi Archisorte.

The little blonde was upstartish, but terribly polite and careful with the words picked to insult him. She didn't 'mean to offend', nor to 'dismiss his qualities', yet he was still a lucky candidate that got quite the 'most important charge' to his name.

And while the girl was so certain of having 'established dominance' over her new 'brother', Waver had a set of conditions that were as brutal and as annoying as the ones pushed by the family.

The Archibald family wasn't going through a good period. With instability having increased the moment contacts with Kayneth had ended as the Holy Grail War intensified, the worst started to happen when the man's dead was implied through the fact that the competition was concluded without him contacting back home.

The only thing that ended up saving the clan to utterly collapse on itself and become a juicy carcass for political rivals and branch lines to the family alike was Waver's sudden resurgence. The 'El-Melloi' faction was all against the splitting of the clan's richness and a good group had rallied behind the only individual that represented a legitimate successor to Kayneth.

Reines was the 'blood-related' choice being the only young and 'fresh' member of the family that had a legitimate claim to the 'throne'. But she was still too young and incredibly inexperienced to take on alone the muddy lake that was Clocktower's political ground, and many had already mentioned some displeasure at the thought of 'following the orders of a silly girl with an inflated ego'.

Which meant that Waver still had some weight to exploit in the form of few clauses related to Reines' own education. It was surprising when he apologetically mentioned how he would've been able to guarantee a safer environment to the blonde by bringing her to Fuyuki rather than keeping her in London.

There was reluctance from the various figures backing the girl, and an outright refusal from Reines herself at the prospect of going to live in 'some backwater town filled with barbarians'… but the reasoning brought up by Waver was quick to grasp at their own worries of losing their standing in the Magus Association.

The shove was decisive as Waver also managed to delay his 'acquisition' of the Lordship for Mineralogy Department for two full years. 'The time to get properly re-acquainted with the subject, perhaps even bring up some ambitious changes for the best of the family'.

Once he was back in Fuyuki, the young man was afforded some funds to set up a 'proper place where to keep their only hope of success'. Reines wasn't amused when he decided to pick one of the largest flat in the city. It was nice, just like Otoko had mentioned about while blabbering about the place during their work shift.

Speaking of the daughter of the owner at his 'former' workplace, the young woman was… incredibly unnerved by the sudden lack of 'Wave-kun'. When she ended up meeting the young man in a 'casual stroll through the city' (read as 'stalking around aimlessly and like a feral animal through the streets of Fuyuki) as he had finally returned from his 'longer-than-usual' trip, things worsened to a dreadful point for Waver.

At 'gunpoint', the young man couldn't elaborate a good excuse and it was at that point of utter stress and pressure that the young man made the serious mistake of mentioning Reines as his 'little sister' coming to visit for a couple of years as the reason of his lengthy journey to England.

A sudden need for proof ensued from the dark-haired girl and… things would get fuzzier from this point onward.

Even Shirou was unsure how Otoko had accepted Reines… and how Reines had happily accepted the woman as her 'guide' in this strange land. But things were now like this, and both females were more than happy to combine forces against their mutual interest/annoyance.

Waver wasn't amused. Not at all.

But things were far from over from 'worsening' for the young man. With his promise to actually take Gray as his apprentice in the usage of basic Magecraft, the shy girl quickly became accustomed to being… teased by Reines.

The young heiress was just endeared by the blunt politeness and general sense of innocence coming from the older girl. It didn't help that she soon learned about the reserved young woman's ancestor, thus driving even more interest from the blonde right onto her new 'friend'.

It was an odd situation which would eventually see both 'ladies' bonding up while interacting with each other each time Gray would come to visit the two at the flat.

Shirou had met Reines on a single occasion, but this very circumstance saw him dismissed as a 'third-grade Magus' with no important connection to some important family. She didn't even bother to listen at his introduction, going as far to interrupt him before he could even mention his last name.

Quite ironic considering how Waver himself had told him of the 'importance of names' for Magi, especially those that cared for people's blood status.

But while the new arrival had caused quite the interesting upheaval with Kiritsugu, with the Magus Killer taking preparations over the close presence of an important member from Clock Tower in case Reines ended up realizing that he was there and contacted other Magi back in London.

With that chaotic shift of situations, Shirou couldn't help but feel that his first days at school were going to be quite interesting. Especially with how complicated his life had turned into in the last three months.

* * *

The school bell rang its soft and calm jingle, deigning the fact that the first day at school for Shirou had come to an end. The classroom was fairly packed with peers of his age, and some of those were people he already knew about.

He already knew that Rin was going to be in his same classroom, but he was surprised to learn that both Julian and Shinji had been assigned to it too. And while the young Ainsworth had been elated at the fact that one of his newest friends in Japan was going to share his classes, the 'rightful heir' to the Matou household was less enthusiastic about it.

Shinji was… different from Sakura. And not just because of their non-existing blood-relation.

It was something that had to do with the overconfidence that domineered in his personality. Something that reminded Shirou much of Zouken, but the comparison was rather difficult to truly trace out from the minor similarity.

While Zouken had been incredibly confident, but dreadfully prideful over his 'might', Shinji was quite the opposite.

The boy was overconfident over his 'undeniable skills' as a Magus, but incredibly dissatisfied with what was the legacy of his family.

Zouken, once feared as much as respected, was now considered a taint that had corrupted the 'good name of the Matou Family'. This mentality had prompted a degree of interest in the boy to expand upon his limited knowledge of magecraft.

His real issue was the fact he lacked the means, the Circuits, to achieve even the most basic elements of Magecraft. He was a Magus only by name. Or at least that was the truth only a few weeks after the boy had been taken in by Kiritsugu.

It had been a mistake. Or so Shirou wanted to define it as this event turned out to be suddenly after he had intervened.

It had been a strange event to begin with; One that was caused by a sudden mission to try and 'befriend' the young Matou.

The logic was simple: Most of Shinji's Magic Circuits were atrophied, the Game offered Shirou a chance to fix that.

**Mana Impulse** became a new skill at the activation of the new Quest and, differently from others he had unlocked in the last few months, this one didn't have levels… and was considered a sub-skill to** Observe.**

The main idea behind the skill was to release a minor amount of Mana out of his body to let it travel all around the area he was within. The impulse would then return 'minor info' about his surroundings. In layman's terms, he now had his own personal radar.

But the function it had in this specific situation wasn't to study or understand his proximity. Rather, he was supposed to 'inject' some of his Mana into Shinji's body.

An action that could be done through mere touch. A little bump, nothing that would make his efforts noticeable at the distracted Matou.

**And he was successful… much to his following grimace.**

Shinji was confused when he noticed that he felt 'healthier' than usual. Kiritsugu had noticed the strange energy pattern coming from the boy as he checked for any surprises left around by the child's grandfather, muttering some comments about it to Shinji.

At the mere suggestion that he had been 'graced his rightful skill as a Magus', Shinji's overall personality soared in a moment of brightness and… cockiness.

Bragging around his newest situation didn't make him look good to the other occupants of the household, especially Rin. He seemed rather interested in 'showing off the Tohsaka', only to cower away at the mere attempt of the fiery girl to retaliate physically at any 'stupid harassment from the boy'.

Thus Shirou did make the young Matou's life a little brighter, but still at the cost of having someone that was now actively trying to 'outperform him as a good rival should'.

Even there at school, the situation had persisted within the way the seats had been picked.

Julian had decided to pick the desk on the young Emiya's left, while Rin had chosen the one at his right. Shinji had settled for the free chair beside Rin, trying to gain her attention thorough the day, only to get reprimanded a couple of times from the teachers.

But while the young Matou whined about the chiding he was gaining, both the young Ainsworth and Tohsaka kept particularly quiet during the lessons, restraining themselves from throwing glances at the Gamer. It was only during the pauses between the lectures that some interesting discussions… which were interrupted more than once by Shinji.

It was irritating at times, but for some reason Shirou couldn't exactly scold the fellow boy during those times. The strange elements was also intensified by the fact that Shinji would adopt a completely 'friendly' demeanor at the redhead's requests of listening to the others.

The only hint that suggested that things weren't as bad as he had suspected early on about this was from the Game itself. Specifically from one of the new features that had appeared in those few months.

**Relationships Tab:**

**Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern (Step-Ancestor) – (80/?)**  
**Kiritsugu Emiya (Step-Father) – (67/100)**  
**Taiga Fujimura (Surrogate Oneesan) – (74/100)**  
**Emrys 'Merlin' Myrddin (Magical Guide) - (64/100) **  
**Rin Tohsaka (Close Friend) – (77/100)**  
**Aoi Tohsaka (Surrogate Mother) – (71/100)**  
**Kischur Zelretch von Schweinorg (Mysterious Mastermind) - (50/100)**  
**Gray Pendragon (Close Friend) – (74/100)**  
**Caren Hortensia (Close Friend) – (79/100)**  
**Illyasviel 'Illya' Emiya (Oneesan/Imouto?) - (81/100)**  
**Sella Emiya (Close Friend/Ward/Protector) – (75/100)**  
**Leysritt 'Liz' Emiya (Close Friend/Ward/Protector) – (76/100)**  
**Julian Ainsworth (Close Friend) – (64/100)**  
**Gilgamesh (Confusing Mentor?) - (40/100)**  
**Francesca Prelati (Strange Friend) – (81/100)**  
**Sakura Matou (Close Friend/Surrogate Imouto) – (76/100)**  
**Shinji Matou (Rival/Friend) – (67/100)**  
**Kirei Kotomine (Unpleasant Acquaintance) - (24/100)**

From the tab, Shinji wasn't someone that Shirou should be fearing anything dangerous from. A minor relief considering how worried he had been for Zouken having done much more damage that he had initially thought.

Still, the odd rules of their friendships made for quite the confusing situation to face on a daily face. Insults from the young Matou were moderated to a fair touch, never going too far with those for some reason, and the boy seemed to accept the Emiya's words with a mix of understanding and reluctant acceptance.

With that strange compromise of 'hate' and begrudged interest, the situation was set in an uneasy standstill that Shirou didn't exactly know how to touching without messing things up.

But while the Gamer thought about this very instance as he put the school material he had on his desk back on his schoolbag, his attention was taken by a renewed discussion between Rin and Julian.

"Can I pass by after lunch?" The Ainsworth asked with a curious tone.

The twin-tailed girl frowned at the request. "Why?"

"Since we have the same homework, I thought that it would be nice if we worked together as a group so we can finish those quickly," The boy replied. "Plus, I was thinking about going at the park. Dad bought me a basketball and I wanted to play a little bit with you guys… a girl."

Rin smiled at the little addition. It wasn't a must, but she appreciated the little attention she got out from that.

"I suppose-"

"We will refuse!" Shinji interrupted with a pompous tone. "Why, I don't see any reason to spend more time with you beyond school, Ainsworth. From what I see, I think Rin-chan would agree with me that we can't trust foreigners with-"

He stopped, but it wasn't out of any inner distraction. The issue could be identified in Rin reaching for his shoulders and grasping tightly at those, forcing him to silence.

"Matou-_san_, I don't remember granting you the right to call me '-chan', am I right?" She asked rhetorically. "Also, I_ don't see_ why we shouldn't accept Julian_-_san's proposal since it would save us all time."

She turned to look at the quieter friend. "Am I right, Shirou-kun?"

For a moment, Shirou saw a smile he had seen more than once appear on Taiga's face when she _was politely asking _for a positive response. He nodded instinctively at the question and the girl's smile widened and softened to a genuine one.

"See? It wouldn't be bad."

"B-But Rin-chan-" He froze as the squeezing resumed. "I-I mean, Rin-san, your words are the wisest! By the way, your eyes are dazzling-"

"I'm not interested~."

Shinji almost seemed to deflate to nothingness at that deadpan, and Shirou offered a sympathetic smile… only to be met with a pout that had irritation and self-disappointment in equal measure.

"Also, I think I should tell you all that… I wanted to invite my little sister and her newest friend too," Julian added, drawing attention back at me. "I know it sounds sudden, but dad had been busy and Erica has been feeling quite lonely at home. Plus, she's good at sports."

"I don't see any issue with that, Julian-kun," Shirou said happily. "But, can I ask why her friend has to come too? Not to sound opposed or anything but-"

"Oh, it's just that… this girl looks strangely lonely, and I think she needs friends," The boy mentioned with a little blush. "Plus… I think she's nice and I would like for you all to met her."

The Gamer blinked at the odd request, but he couldn't see anything wrong with that.

"How about you tell us her name, Julian," Rin huffed at the Ainsworth, pressing him to talk more about a possible teasing topic to bring up in future discussions.

It was one of the strange things between the two. Rin just loved to tease Julian about his crush on Taiga, finding it 'highly amusing' that he would usually turn in a stuttering mess when the brunette was brought up in their conversations.

Still, the boy nodded and seemed to consider it for a couple of seconds. Then… he spoke.

"I think Erica-chan said that her name was… Miyu. Miyu Edelfelt."

* * *

**AN**

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!**

**Guys, Miyu is here! The cute chibi is here! And-**

**I bet there are readers frowning at a couple of situations within this chapter. The first and foremost being Reines in Fuyuki. Why? There's a reason. A big one at that. Other than pure comedy gold of course. **_**Who would've thought that Reines could work so well with someone like Otoko.**_

**The four kids aren't the only one at school. Illya-chan has been enrolled in Homurahara too and… boy, oh boy, I think I've to say this single clue to make everyone understand a single 'mistake' that I made.**

**Miyu's last name. I didn't make a mistake about it, and I'm aware that her real last name is Sakatsuki… but~!**

**Have fun with that clue 'cause things are going to take a weird turn in this early part of the Second Arc!**

**Lastly, situation with Gil-kun and Kirei will be expanded next chapter. Just like the introduction of a possible foe for Shirou.**

**News that aren't related to this story- New Stories! 1) Sidekick (PostSecretInvasion!Spider-Man-616/Worm); 2) Fate/True Bizarre (Part 3-4 (before DiU but after SC) Jotaro Kujoh in the Fourth Holy Grail War)!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**AlernateReality****: As stated by 'Lord El-Melloi II's Cases', Waver didn't return to Clocktower before 3 years spent in trips around the world. It's also stated that he stayed in Fuyuki for a couple of months before leaving Japan.**

**GenShepard****: The FSN timeline isn't the same as FGO. The main element that makes FGO happen is Olga's father winning the Fifth Holy Grail War thanks to Grand Caster (Solomon). Considering certain circumstances, I can say that while Chaldea as it is known in FGO isn't happening, I will not exclude the possibility of having characters like Olga, her father, or even Mash appearing in this story.**

**Surya****: It's more about perceptions. Artoria did it out of good morality, Gilgamesh defended Uruk because it's his possession getting attacked. Plus the whole overworking part was a subconscious attempt to end his life when his attempt to resurrect Enkidu failed.**

**Xenahort x****: It was already explained. Caren isn't part of the game. She can see the Game but can't interact with it.**


	35. School Days (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**ARC 2 - Chapter 2: School Days (2)**

* * *

"You know. If you keep up with that scowl any longer, your face might end up stuck like that forever."

She huffed, her arms now crossed by her chest tightened more at the umpteenth infantile comment she was forced to listen to.

The strange vehicle that Zelretch was driving was something marvelous, and while part of her wanted to study more the fascinating means that makes it capable of moving without the need of magecraft or horses, the situation just didn't offer her that much reprieve.

Japan was an odd place.

While Arcueid Brunestud had long learned either from both her past tutors or from the smiling fool sitting beside her to not judge a book from its cover, the strange mentality that was ingrained in this 'eastern' society just failed to sit well in her stomach.

The island itself was just a little bigger than the main British Isle, but the people and the culture there was severely different from anything she had seen in Europe.

The language was also an aspect that got her to actually suffer, as it's been way too long since she had been compelled to learn a new one and… three alphabets were fairly difficult to get grasp.

It took her a solid month to gain fluency in Japanese, both in speaking it and writing in Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

But the real issue here wasn't the hassle that she had been burdened with by Zelretch's own decision. The quandary was the one related to the fact she had been taken by him for this sudden trip away from the safe walls of his office.

While that big room was hardly spacious with how many shelves and artifacts kept in a disastrous order, it was at least devoid of chances of her ending up facing some of the ambitious magi that lingered within Clock Tower.

But while the Wizard Marshal looked as happy as he could over the 'exciting father-daughter experience' that waited for them, Arcueid had decided to employ her own arsenal of nagging terms and words that she knew would work on the smiling old man.

"Are we there yet?"

A sigh. "Not yet~!"

It sounded a simple remark with little attention given to it, but the little blonde knew perfectly of the mindset of the driver and she knew that a little more than a hundredth queries of the same topic would push anyone to a state of mental exhaustion.

The 'car' was enchanted with some runes applied by the glasses that nullified the effects of sunlight on vampires, but Arcueid hardly cared for the usual tree passing by as they proceeded with their trip.

It was absurd to believe that the man responsible for the kill of her ancestor would actually need her presence on the field. It was just… asinine to believe there was actually a threat capable of pushing the Kaleidoscope himself to move together with someone that was slightly weaker than him in terms of raw magical prowess.

But the little blonde didn't mind. In fact, something about this 'worry' just felt amusing to look at. It was the first time she saw Zelretch freak out this badly, and whatever had set him like this, it had to be an opponent worth of her attention.

Which was good news to her since she was _starving _for a proper fight. A bloody one too if things went according to her deep desires.

But instead of humming happily at this possibility, Arcueid merely stared at the sight offered by the frontal glass and… the strange dark clouds that were forming right by the city they were slowly approaching.

It wasn't the color that got her blood-red eyes to stare fixedly at those, but the unusual amount of magical energy intensifying within those.

"What's that?"

Zelretch was silent at first, and his smile was already gone as he pressed on the pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

"Something I had predicted… but I wasn't expecting it to happen so quickly, or at least not before we had the chance to reach the Grail."

A surprised eyebrow lifted at that. "We're actually dismantling it?"

While the girl had zero contacts with other people, some of the letters sent by the various representatives from Clocktower had kept her busy during her lonely self-exile in that gloomy office.

The Holy Grail War sounded like something precious if handled correctly, but since it was created by Magi to be used by other Magi, it was correct to think that nothing good would ever come from such a complex construct.

Curiously enough, Arcueid was slightly reminded of the concept behind any Reality Marbles. But instead of imposing numerous personal-driven rules within a limited zone of the World, it was a single rule (the wish) getting translated into the common laws imposed by Gaia.

It was a silent strike at the Will of the Planet, one that surprisingly enough stabilized the very moment that Gaia itself took note of it and actually accepted it as a newer truth.

A brilliant work, but one completely wasted by leaving it at the hands of numerous unknown individuals. The fact that none had actually managed to get a proper wish out of the device was a sign that it was best to confiscate it or even dismantle it.

Too powerful, too dangerous, too irritating to even think about.

But just as her mind had slowly wandered away by the confusing sight, Zelretch had seen fit to finally answer to her inquiry with more information.

"I hope you understand that you will have to stick close to me once we're inside the town," The Wizard Marshal pointed out. "While you could easily kill anything that's getting created by the Grail, I think the real problem is the corruption causing this kind of phenomenon."

She huffed, rolling her eyes in a moment of annoyance. "As if I would allow some disgusting taint to corrupt me."

"It's not an attempt to diminish your worth, little Arc," The fellow Ancestor pointed out. "But I think you're missing the big picture about it. I can easily say that Type Moon herself would've some trouble dealing with that kind of situation. Especially when she is not prepared to face something that is beyond the limits of mortality… and divinity."

…

"What?"

Disregarding the absurd claim that Brunestud of the Crimson Moon would've possibly been the strongest entity within the planet, the fact that he was suggesting that whatever was behind this bizarre development was beyond a Deity of old?

Should she worry that her guardian had finally gone senile?

"While Angra Mainyu, the Servant that was 'created' out of the Third War, was weaker compared to many other Heroes, it would be wrong to assume he is still a weakling now that he had taken over the Grail," The old man answered tensely. "He has a large input of mana that he can manipulate at his whim. And now that he has gone safely to channel more and more energy, I would dare to say that we might end up embroiled in a Grail War."

"Sounds like rubbish," The princess rebuked earnestly. "While I might not remember properly the basis of human magecraft, I do remember that to manipulate any immense amount of energy conceived by the large leylines available in Fuyuki Town would require a reinforced body. Something that this 'God of Evil' doesn't have since his body was destroyed before getting thrown back in the artifact."

…

…

"I know I'm right, so why-"

"You recited the rule correctly, but you failed to grasp an important detail that makes your theory collapse completely," Zelretch interrupted quietly. "The issue is that he does have a proper body to make things happen with the energy he's absorbing. The lesser Grail used for the Fourth Holy Grail War."

There was a pause, and the girl froze at the realization offered by her guardian. She had been thinking from the first war to the third one, but she had barely given attention to the fourth one considering how little was known to her about the event.

"The Lesser Grail was taken?"

The fellow ancestor sighed. "Yes. And the thing is that now that he knows things are slowly turning against him, his plans are going to drastically speed up to match up to those that threaten his existence."

"So things are going to get ethic right as we arrive in Fuyuki?"

"Perhaps," The Wizard Marshal replied with a minor degree of uncertainty… and that confirmed that things weren't going to be as funny as she expected those to end up.

A huff left her lips. "Then I suppose I shall be ready for any aggression. But I will not defend you if you falter in your steps."

"I wouldn't demand such a privilege from you, young heiress."

* * *

Things were really taking an irritating twist now that he was forced to deal with this.

It's been months since he had decided to finally offer some assistance to Shirou Emiya. The boy was far from reaching his peak, but he represented a chance to revert a 'minor' mistake the blond had committed during his ruling. One that could just be 'fixed' just as he saw fit.

The Age of God, as he could remember it, wasn't something that he was aiming to restore to the fullest. The state of anarchy among the tribes, the greedy emotions of certain deities, and the troublesome lack of proper power consolidation-

His memories of that era weren't ethereal as he would've liked those to be. It was a better time compared to the one he was living now, but there were already problems rising with the way Gods considered their creations and worshipers.

The slaying of the Titan from the stars had coaxed a large majority of deities into a sense of self-absorption that eventually saw Gilgamesh pitted against them.

But while he himself was still uncertain if he would've been able to win a fight against his 'founders' without suffering lethal and deadly injuries, he would never try to even think of regretting his final decision.

Revealing the truth of their existence to their believers sparked the fiery crescendo that eventually mortalized deities into machines. From that point onward, humanity gained prominence and 'priority' over the declining Gods and… things ended up like this.

With mankind prospering over the ashes of long gone deities.

The punishment the Gods were subjected to made his stern action worth to a fair degree, but the final development, the one that led to this current timeline where humanity had strayed away from its glorious feats, rendered this effort quite a bitter issue he was responsible for.

His only mistake, he would say reluctantly if he felt in a good mood.

And while the world was rolling the way he deemed correct, things were far from reaching true completion.

Shirou's ability, the Game, was something that had to be preserved at all costs now. Not at his life's expenses, but still enough to warrant the King's guarantee and loyalty to the young boy.

He was meant to represent the change, but whatever it was going to be for good or bad was going to be dictated by one individual only… and that was the King of Heroes himself.

Yet, peace wasn't meant to last as he had completely forgotten that something- or _someone _was still lurking and waiting to strike at the best opportunity.

Gilgamesh was unsure how things had suddenly changed away from the peaceful context he had been living in.

One moment he was sitting alone by the park, questioning with an annoyed thought or two about the clouding of the sky and why his omnipresence was starting to have trouble understanding what was happening within the city. Then two dark figures rushed for a quick brawl.

But if he had to be honest, the King of Heroes was quite impressed by the way both sword-wielding attackers were handling the first barrage of his treasury.

Fergus mac Róich was one of the known heroes in the Ulster Cycle, his presence seconded only by names like the one held by Cu Chulainn and Queen Medb. His swordsmanship was still on point as he bravely tried to defend himself at the onslaught of blades raining upon him.

Caladbolg, his blade, easily handling most of the treasury, but soon finding trouble with the other swords of higher origin and purpose. Truly a pity that he was silent and unwilling to spare his target any of his suffering.

His companion, albeit slightly weaker and less experienced than him, was faring as well as the Irish Hero was. Donning a silver armor with numerous references to the religion he had 'believed' during his activity in France, Gilles de Rais didn't have any magical weapon to resist the iron rain falling upon him.

His quick feet were his only saving grace, but his curaisse was already getting torn apart by some swifter blades falling near to his face.

To think that the disgusting interpretation that was Caster would return in its younger self, before the deformation into the demented fool…

Gilles was a mere soldier in this version of the legend. One that had followed closely the deeds accomplished by Jeanne D'Arc, offering her friendship and advice whenever she needed any of those. A fervent follower, but one deviated by personal desires upon the maiden, ultimately betraying the idea left behind by the very idol he loved so closely.

The foolish men, corrupted by the Grail, were desperately trying to kill Gilgamesh, and the former Archer was almost _bored_ by the fact they looked so uncoordinated and unfocused. If they had been given more of their personal willpower, things would've been surely 'funnier' for him to deal with.

But right now he was facing two brutes that hardly gave him a challenge to fight against. And it frustrated him to no end.

It was like looking at two Berserkers without the two actually having a fraction that the class should bestow to the Servants assigned to the label.

With a sigh and a quick wave of hand, the two Servants were ultimately decimated by numerous other portals opening and dropping more of the Golden King's treasury upon them.

The gruesome sight wasn't something that Gilgamesh lingered for too long as he soon perceived two more individuals rushing at him.

Several blue bolts rushed through some of the bushes nearby, trying to hit the annoyed blond from behind.

With his eyes turning to grace his new harassers, the King of Heroes moved away as Fionn mac Cumhaill rushed at him with his lance, Mac an Luin. The golden-tipped spear failed to find its target, and the owner of the weapon was forced to swiftly engage against a furious Gilgamesh.

One thing was attacking him through fair means, another was trying to cheaply get a hit on him without properly introducing themselves.

The two blonds were relentless with their respective attacks, but the former Archer was far faster and decisive with his blows. Fionn tensed up as the sword held by his opponent plunged deep through his chest.

Surprise filled the puppet-Servant, but the moment of peace was interrupted when more blue bolts started to rush at them. With a single move, Gilgamesh turned the dying Servant into the approaching magic bullets, speeding up the process of his opponent's death.

His red eyes soon were over the tiny red-haired archer throwing even more bolts at him.

Robin Hood, the legend that materialized in the form of an infuriating trickster.

But the King of Heroes wasn't up for any plays for today. Especially with his Sha Naqba Imuru getting disrupted by what seemed to be an ordeal caused by Angra Mainyu. The signs were there and he didn't need his clairvoyance to notice that it was all connected to the frustrating taint still lingering his domains.

Enkidu flew through his portals, the chain mercilessly wrapping around the shocked Archer and slamming his form off from the tree branch he had been crouching by and painfully on the ground, breaking his neck in the process.

He looked around, feeling only feeble energy pattern that indicated that there was much more than just four weaklings.

"I can see that there is more of you, mongrels. Please, indulge with your own assault… in the end my punishment will only increase to the one that is sending you all against me," The Golden King brazenly called out. "I will not cower before your assault- in fact, I rejoice at the chance of proving my worth before you worthless selves."

He didn't need to wait much longer than someone did heed his call and… He snarled as Enkidu moved just in time to intercept the fast-paced monster rushing at him.

Roaring furiously, the inhuman giant tried to break free of the restrictions failing _**just like it had happened 'before'.**_

Gilgamesh sighed, looking at Herakles with a scowl.

"I think your controller is genuinely trying to aggravate me," He seethed under his breath, staring furiously at the groaning behemoth as it continued to break away from his limitations. "And I will make him taste the full fury of my soul and right as a king."

There was no reason to spare more words to the brainless monster, and Gilgamesh prepared to unleash Ea upon the creature. He knew that dealing with the Berserker's God Hand was going to be just annoying and time-draining, something that as a King couldn't help but find unacceptable before these circumstances.

But before he could get the key prepared to deploy the ultimate Noble Phantasm, his attention snapped at a sudden and loud exclamation.

"Kazikli Bey!"

Vlad Draculesti's unique ability, the crystallization of his victory over the large ranks of troops dispatched by the Ottoman Empire to punish the rebellious ruler of Wallachia.

Just as it was called upon, numerous stakes emerged ferociously from the ground, the path looking to be directed right at the calm-looking King of Heroes.

The former Archer jumped away quickly deploying his Vimana. The golden vessel soared quickly to catch its owner, letting the King rest by the throne-like chair available atop the ancient vehicle.

"An admirable effort from your part, Lancer. But one that fails to match with the limitations imposed by your own Noble Phantasm," Gilgamesh complimented. "Sadly enough, I'm not in the mood of playing with either you or your fellow monster."

He stood up from his seat as Enkidu quickly rushed to subdue the incensed Impaler, the white-haired fiend fending off the chains with his lance, but failing to properly defend himself as he was soon overwhelmed by the unbreakable weapon.

Snarling and struggling against the restraints, the vampire soon was sent slamming onto the limited Herakles and Gilgamesh deployed his final strike against them.

"I shall strike and call it a ritual of separation-

The Sky and the Land divided,

the nothingness praising the conception,

and my blade ruptured the earth,"

Ea's cylinders started to rotate, the input of energy running through the weapon intensifying as Gilgamesh started to lift it above his head.

"Destroyer of Stars,

Heaven's Hell shall be the prelude of creation's celebration."

The world stilled, and Gilgamesh felt a tingle going through his body as he now remembered why Ea was special to him. A smile twitched by his lips as he brought forth his fury upon his enemies.

"**ENUMA ELISH!**"

And light bathed the land as the powerful blast tore down at the panicking Servants. Enkidu had moved quickly out of the way as the beam struck its targets and the world was blinded by the glorious energy released by the Sword of Rupture.

There was peace… there was calm.

Gilgamesh returned Ea back in his treasury, an impassive look settling by his face instead of the gloating one he had planned to let out.

Something was off. Incredibly so.

And he decided to move back to the only chair available in the Vimana… only to quickly find that he was now… stuck?

He couldn't move, or rather his body was paralyzed by what felt to be a sudden curse placed on himself.

A blink, then two- finally he got sight over his final attacker and the tall woman advanced towards him. Her blindfold was off, and her mystic eyes were pressuring his will to a stalemate as he tried to back away from the approaching Rider Servant.

"You weren't ready as you planned, your highness," Medusa smoothly commented, but Gilgamesh quickly recognized that it wasn't her voice leaving her lips.

"I suppose the prime cur would need to manifest to gloat. Truly a shameless sight that you would seriously think this will actually work," The Golden King rebuked, only to be met with a bored sigh by the woman.

"Oh, but I'm aware that Medusa here can't kill you," Angra Mainyu replied with a happy hum. "In fact, she is just meant to delay you for his moment."

What?

Something soared off from the ground. The figure was fairly short, but his armor and clothes were quite bright. His arrow burned brightly in his bow and soon… he let out his Noble Phantasm.

Gilgamesh felt panic rise at the immediate realization of what was happening… but it was too late.

"STELLA-AH!"

Or was it?

An explosion shattered the frame of Arash, interrupting his highly-destructive and suicidal final move and making Medusa stare in shock at the failure of that simple plan.

"W-Who dares to-" Her body went tense before she could finish, a presence staring behind her.

"I expected to find the Devil in here… but I was regaled with a mere puppet that can hardly move against me," The new arrival commented dryly. "A pity- no, an outright sin against my mission. I shan't forgive you for bringing torment to the living world!"

Gilgamesh was quiet as he stared at the young man, donning a simple red robe and a matching hat under what looked to be a laurel wreath, slammed his staff onto the woman's head and sent it flying away.

The corpse burned in a dark fire, enveloping the entirety of the dead Servant before their eyes.

There was silence… and Gilgamesh was incredibly confused as he couldn't recognize this Servant specifically.

The unknown man, once incensed by the presence of the Evil creature, now sported a relieved smile as he turned to greet the blond.

"Salutations King of Heroes, beholder of the absolute rule over the world," The smiling figure bowed respectfully while saying so. "Your presence is as radiant as expected, and your virtue is evident in all of your features. Like a perfect representation of a true King and-"

"Who are you."

It wasn't a question. While the sudden compliments hit the former Archer in the proper spot, there was just something strange about the figure that made the King of Heroes stand tensely around him.

Something about him was just… different from the usual Heroic Spirit.

"Oh! Forgive me, oh kind lord, it's just common modesty to be polite before a true monarch." Another bow, his smile hardly looked fazed by Gilgamesh comment.

"My true name is Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri, but I'm mostly known as Dante Alighieri, the Sommo Poeta(1)," He introduced himself with a cheerful tone. "I'm a Foreigner-Class Servant… and I'm seeking to find the one that will finally materialize the prophecy I've long waited for!"

…

"What?"

* * *

Shirou patiently hummed as he started to prepare his textbook by the large table in Julian's room.

The study session had yet to begin, and they were still waiting for the arrival of the curious guest that their friend had invited for the occasion.

Miyu Edelfelt… that name didn't remind him of anyone he had met before.

It wasn't that much odd that he was still unaware of most of the inhabitants in town. But for this specific person to be a frequent visitor of the nearby park… it just felt confusing as to why Shirou had never noticed this individual before.

The park was frequented by many children during the morning, but Julian had described the girl as a young teen with short dark hair and amber eyes.

The depiction had offered very little insight about who she could be as the young Emiya would've remembered someone like her. And yet nothing, there was zero recollection of such an individual.

Rin had already deployed the entirety of her bag over her space, with her attention now taken completely by her attempt to fiddle around with her pens.

Shinji was huffing, his legs waving around but avoiding kicking any of them under the table, with his part of the desk completely missing of anything other than a pencil and a piece of paper.

"Why is she taking this long?" The Matou whined, his head crumbling by the table as the young Tohsaka glared back at him for being this blunt over the issue.

It's been twenty minutes now since they had been waiting for the teen to arrive and Julian was still waiting by the lower floor, by the entrance as they continued to patiently stay for any new developments.

"Do you think he tricked Ainsworth?" Shinji asked quietly at Shirou. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if the girl was just one of those that just bait people and then prank them like this."

"That doesn't sound much… of a fun thing to do," The Emiya commented. "Aren't pranks to give… amusement?"

"Not everyone has the same degree of entertainment as we have, Shirou-kun," Rin pointed out quietly. "Think of Matou-san- he likes to be annoying whenever it's possible. There, that it's an odd way to draw entertainment from."

Shinji gawked at that comment, but he failed to compile an answer at the mean shot thrown at him 'so unexpectedly'.

There wasn't much to do with the fact that Rin herself was starting to get annoyed too, and becoming a target to her irritation by stating out the obvious felt like a dangerous game around her.

So Shirou kept quiet and focused on the homework for today.

"Still, do you think she will be nice or… maybe Ainsworth is being lead around by her possible beauty," The blue-haired boy inquired about, now sporting curiosity instead of annoyance for the host of this house.

"She's probably nice," The Gamer hummed calmly. "Julian said that his younger sister seemed to like her a lot, and that they played at lot by the park. Maybe she had some troubles, that's why she's late."

"Still, it's quite odd."

"What? Don't you think people can have other things other than visiting people?" Rin pressed on with some irritation now clear in her tone.

Shinji seemed to finally understand that continuing through that path wasn't going to end well for him, and he finally kept a silent for the remainder of the situation.

Another ten minutes passed before Julian actually returned with a happy smile… and the guest that he had said was going to come was right behind him as he entered the room.

"Rin-chan, Shinji-san, Shirou-kun," The boy mentioned with a polite tone. "I introduce you to Miyu Edelfelt."

The bespectacled boy made way, offering a clear sight over the girl and… she looked incredibly familiar now that Shirou had a clear glance over her.

Miyu had her hair kept short through some ribbons tying part of her locks behind from falling beneath her shoulders. Her vibrant amber eyes matched his for a moment-

The young Emiya had to hold back from shivering at the strange electric shock that he got from that mere look. Something felt surprisingly intense about her staring before she actually gave a quick bow and a shy smile.

"Julian-kun and Erika-chan told me you three are good friends of his. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Miyu-chan," Rin quickly replied with a vibrant smile and… relief dripping from her words. Maybe it was because she was no longer the only girl in that small group of friends… or perhaps she was glad that she could 'learn more stuff' from someone older than them.

The study session started shortly after, with Miyu keeping away from actively helping the four children with their homework and only staring at them silently.

She lingered a little too much at Shirou, making it easy for the redhead to understand that the girl was interested at him for some reason.

Frowning a little but keeping his stare over his calculations, Shirou thought of the command while sparing a swift look at the distracted Edelfelt and… he got even more confused at the stats he got back.

**Name: Miyu Emiya (Formerly Sakatsuki)**

**Title: The soft-spoken Magician Girl**

**Age: 14**

**Level: 12-?**

**HP : 1200/1200-?**

**MP : 2000-?**

Emiya? Why- when-

Surely Kiritsugu had hold anything from him about other members of his family. And Shirou believed that it was truly the case… despite the odd revelation provided by such a sight.

His adoptive father was orphaned, and had a single standing relationship with Irisviel von Einzbern. Illya was his only daughter… and yet Miyu was a Emiya.

The Game was suggesting this despite the fact that it was impossible for it to be true.

And… what kind of title was that?

While he had been seeing strange animes about magical girls because Illya had forced him to see these shows with her, he couldn't see how this would make sense in a normal context.

Was she really a magical girl? One related to him and Illya?

The redhead could see his older sister squeal at the thought that part of her family was able to become something she had started to idolize just recently. He let out a sight at that adorable image, only ending up catching Miyu's attention with that.

"Do you need some help, Shirou?"

He blinked, glancing up at the girl with a confused frown.

"Oh? Oh- I wasn't- I was just thinking about something back home," The Gamer replied with some mumbled words.

"Are you thinking about Illya-chan? You know that she is probably done with her homework already by now," Rin pointed out with a minor grimace. "Truly, she is super-smart about school."

Much to the surprise of many, especially Shirou's, the young Einzbern easily became one of the smartest girls in the Elementary School section of Homurahara Academy. She had been picked on in the first few days, but she had bravely lasted those and obtained quite a following with her kind words and adorable accent.

"Illya?" Miyu inquired curtly, making Shinji sigh.

"Shirou's older sister. She is quite nice and really kind," The Matou explained calmly. "Still, she's an Einzbern and so I'm just respectful with her."

There was silence after the girl nodded at the response, but Shirou quickly noticed that the Edelfelt was muttering silently the words 'older sister'.

He felt nervous, perhaps this individual was trying to dig more on his life- maybe she was related to Kiritsugu through other means and… she had come to Fuyuki just recently.

He continued to work on his paper, hoping that things wouldn't escalate from that point onward and… they didn't.

The study session lasted for a couple of hours, stopping just some minutes away from dinnertime.

Julian bid them a warm goodbye as they all walked out of his house and back home.

But just as Shirou started to turn and walk together with Shinji and Rin back to the Emiya household, the boy stopped to notice something _moving _by Miyu's backpack as the teen retreated on the opposite direction.

He blinked at the strange looking short staff with a bright yellow star at the center and a pair of blue butterfly wings on its side.

**Name: Sapphire**

**Title: Kaleidostick Beta**

_**What was that?!**_

* * *

**AN**

**So much is happening at once and… I'm starting to experiment with multiple POVS happening within my stories. Kind of odd to do now but… I feel like writing in this matter is easier than before.**

**Less troublesome, I dare to say.**

**But yes, Miyu is that Miyu and… the reason why she's there is connected with what's happening to this Fuyuki.**

**Stay tuned for what's going to be a complicated mindfuck that one would find only in a canon story from the Nasuverse.**

**GLOSSARY – (1) Sommo Poeta is a title bestowed to Dante Alighieri by Italy, it's roughly translated as the Supreme Poet, yet I think The Wisest Poet matches is better on a meaning-related connection.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Isaac LB****: Surprisingly enough Shinji works as 'Flaws within Heaven' without getting overbearing with his mannerism.**

** sleepingDOTmoon356****: I would say that **_**an **_**Illya will be shown as a Magical Girl. Not this one (yet).**

**Javi30:**** Thanks, I hope the same for you!**

**Semi-Immortal Cat Akumu****: It's the Miyuverse's finest Magical Girl!**

**Tarrasque698****: I did flinch while I wrote that title. Part of my Anime-induced PTSD is from 'that anime' in particular.**

**Sloth Origin****: Gil took the role of Mentor. It's not a genuine mentorship, rather a 'I kick you off some rocks and into the ocean, now learn how to swim while I throw stones at you' kind of teaching. Mash, as far as I know, is still alive. She did 'perish' in FGO Part 1 Finale, but she was revived through some interesting manner. **

**Xenahort x****: Extraverse is complicated, and I don't know how to push it in the story since it's an alternate timeline altogether. FGO maybe after this story is over- and I think there are plans for other Prillya characters to appear.**

**PersonaNinja Lux****: The original trio will be in there. Expects lots of 'Ohhh!' from Illya at the fact she is an Onee-san in this timeline. **


	36. School Days (Part 3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**ARC 2 – Chapter 3: School Days (3)**

* * *

Silence was a notion that she had long learned to accept.

Taking a moment to sigh and stare at the progress of her hard work, she smiled maliciously at the runes she had just finished writing.

It took her a large amount of her already-limited time to get these to work, but she knew that the final results were all worth this excruciating waiting. The dampness of the cave she had been forced to stay into in the last months had sharpened her patience.

…

But the presence of that stupid moron to dictate directions left and right in such a chaotic and senseless manner was enough to deprive her of any hope of being left at peace.

Especially when this very moron was now whining in the background.

"I told you to give me the strongest Servants, and you gave me cheap Spirits," The dark-haired boy pointed out with a dull tone.

"And I did. But I also mentioned how these Servants were what I could muster right now in these conditions," She rebuked with some annoyance. "You could've won if you had placed some seriousness in your planning. And yet you had to waste that precious energy away to harass Gilgamesh."

The short figure groaned, his tattoos glowing a soft blue. "Well, I did pay plenty of attention on the blond bastard and I almost got him killed… but then that Foreigner bastard had to come out and spoil my fun-"

"Foreigner?"

Curious name. Another class? One beyond this dimension's standards of Servants?

"This guy I… I couldn't truly understand him," The boy explained. "At first I thought he was a Caster with his magical prowess but… then I felt something wrong about him. Something that… that actually brought me to retreat."

The woman paused, her red eyes finally addressing the nuisance as it continued to rant about this strange encounter.

Something that frightened the embodiment of evil? Now, that was going to make things a little bit more complicated than hoped for.

Sure, their plan was so big and threatening that she had expected for 'outsiders' to appear and raise hell over their current 'strongholds', but to think that a completely different Servant was here? That actually left her perplexed and unsure how to handle this new player.

She had expected the Counter-Force to snap back at the little trickery she was trying to accomplish thanks to the Grail and the still-active leylines in Fuyuki Town giving the artifact the necessary fuel to sustain itself.

By altering some of the old matrix, the woman wanted to shift the primary role of the grail to something completely different from simple wishcraft. Albeit the Einzbern might have been conscious of _part _of the true potential this artifact offered, it was only Justeaze that had been aware of the full might of the construct.

The Grail was something with far more potential to its original purpose, and Angra Mainyu just wanted only one thing out of it.

The Core of everything.

The perfect Hyperuranion.

The Akashic Record.

So many names, but just a single entity truly representing the final end of their ambitions.

But while many had already tried to reach the highest plane of existence, the reason behind their little crusade was to corrupt the world of idle ideas. The place where the unknown hid from the living, transcending the concept of existence for the sake of attaining true secrecy.

By corrupting the idea of mystery itself, they would've been able to turn everything that existed in all dimension in toys for them to use and destroy whenever they thought or felt like.

They just needed this Grail to create a bridge to all Roots to actually win. They didn't need to kill anyone or anything as a requirement to their success.

But the temptation of actually removing from the big picture the main issues within this dimension? That was just a precaution she knew was necessary.

Three individuals were close enough to their lair to provide some disturbance, and each were going to be particularly difficult to deal with on an individual level.

Shirou Emiya had been a curious element to keep her eyes on while they quietly prepared for this important event. The young boy was inexperienced, naive, and easy to lead around with proper attention given to any plans made about him.

The real issue was what he was holding within himself.

The **Game** was something that Angra Mainyu only knew since it had been there to witness its integration within Shirou's body.

It was pure coincidence that saw the Avenger taking notice of this occurrence, having approached the young redhead with the purpose of leaving within him part of his true essence.

A fail-safe in case things went awry with any of those that could've gone to destroy the Holy Grail.

The God of All Evil was unable to grasp at the complex nature of its functions when the scene first unfolded before him, with Justeaze's masterful work frustrating him over its true nature.

It didn't help that even when he went through with the process of splitting part of his pure self into the Einzbern husk had provided him with the insight he was seeking for.

Something about the young Emiya made him alluring to his need of a corporeal body beyond the rules of Gaia, but the chances of taking over the child's mind weeks earlier had resulted in a sound defeat.

Whatever Justeaze had left behind to protect the Game, it had been strong enough to shatter any efforts to probe at the young Emiya's thoughts and body.

Thus Shirou Emiya was considered a threat with the potential that this Game was unlocking within his body.

Iri didn't mind. She couldn't care much if the threat was to be absorbed in the greater entity or become a victim to their outstanding ambition.

The real issue about him, in her humble opinion, was why her mind would try to bring up silly plans about ambushing the child and give him a hug.

The very notion of embracing another being sounded so stupid and senseless. It didn't fit with her priorities and didn't offer Iri anything that could help with the big picture.

Ignoring the strange urges this body would push onto her mind, the woman turned her attention at the second obstacle to their plans.

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg was possibly the most dangerous of the small group. The Wizard Marshal, despite having lost most of his might when he was forced to become a vampire, was still powerful enough to interrupt the lengthy process that she had to focus most of her attention into.

The Kaleidoscope's capacities allowed its user to intercept and disrupt any inter-dimensional magecraft. Right now the secrecy of their true plans had hindered the old fool's chances of stop their plot early on, but the accumulation of this much magical energy within the Grail had caught Zelretch's attention.

The old geezer was surely en route to arrive in Japan as soon as possible, maybe even bringing up someone else to help him with the dismantling of the device.

The mere thought that the vampire was going to come personally to deal with this matter was more than enough to worry Angra Mainyu's collective mind.

Zelretch represented the perfect counter to any chances of succeeding with this kind of operations, and that warranted the need to deploy the strongest Servants they could conjure to find the fool and kill him before he had the chance of finding out what was going on in Fuyuki.

Finally, the last issue standing between them and their ultimate goal was the unknown forces that might rush at any issues reaching for their own dimensions.

There was no clear info over this cast of people, but Iri knew that if they took too much time trying to get the process done, the world itself would end up becoming a hub of numerous dimensions at once.

Foreigner just confirmed this little concern, especially if said individuals were meant to hunt down people like Angra Mainyu.

Without paying any attention to the still ongoing whine coming from the fellow Avatar, Iri carefully continued with her own work, knowing well enough that wasting more time on this first step was just going to penalize them more than they were now.

_**With the wishful thinking that things were going to keep calm until her counterpart decided to wander around again, the fragmented mind of Irisviel von Einzbern grew duller the closer the evil duo came to the fruition of their plans.**_

* * *

It was already nighttime, but she couldn't afford to stop at any time now that she was in this new Fuyuki.

Perching from the roof of a tall building, a silent individual peeked over the damage caused by the 'Great Fire' that had devastated the city a while ago.

A grimace appeared on her tanned face as her bright orange eyes scanned over the similarities this dimension had with the one both Miyu and her brother came from.

The damage was indeed close to the one caused by the Ainsworth Holy Grail War, but in this version there had been an actual fire consuming a good chunk of Fuyuki.

It was still the result of a Holy Grail War, but this one felt more like the ones she knew thanks to her ancestor's memories.

To think that their dimension had been spared by the damage caused by the Fourth War all because of the Wizard Marshal personally coming in town to dismantle the Grail.

The mere thought that they had been spared this much loss of human lives was more than enough to remind the girl how lucky she actually was despite her flawed body.

"Kuro!" A familiar voice called from the other side of the building, prompting the tanned Archer to glance back at the yelling individual.

Approaching her with a quick pace, a certain magical girl offered a nervous look at her counterpart. Closely behind her, a taller fellow offered a quizzical look at Chloe, prompting a sigh from the 'serious' Einzbern's lips.

"I think this is quite similar to Miyu-chan's world," She concluded with a nod while she addressed both Illya and… Shirou.

It was odd to call her Oniichan by his proper name. But the correction was a must since the young man wasn't her big brother despite their identical appearances.

Well, mostly identical if she had to take into account the white patches on this Shirou's hair and the tanned spots on his skin.

The result of burning some of his Magic Circuits by overusing his Tracing ability. It was still ironic how the young man had long ditched the ideals that made EMIYA a proper Counter-Guardian, yet he was the closest version to the Hero of Justice.

But the reality of the situation didn't offer space for any comedic relief much to her growing chagrin. There were so many chances to make some joke to ease up the tension, but Kuro herself couldn't help but feel worried about this new adventure.

Differently from the one they had just a couple of months ago against the Ainsworths, this one was far more complicated and difficult to understand without exploring some more.

Back then they knew who their enemies were. Now they were dealing with complete unknowns that had no correlation to their dimension up until Miyu was taken away from them.

"I think we should check the house where Miyu and I used to live in," Shirou muttered curtly. "It's 1994, and I think Kiritsugu is still alive."

Kuro frowned at this, remembering how Shirou's father had died because of some rare illness.

"You think he will help us?" Illya inquired with a note of nervousness, once again pointing out how she was ill-equipped to go through this kind of complex adventures on her own.

"He will," Chloe replied calmly. "Papa is still a good man at heart. Whatever version this one might be, he's someone that strive for justice."

"It all depends if his concept of justice is like your father's or if it is closer to mine," The redhead commented with a distracted voice.

The tales provided by the young man about the ruthlessness the Magus Killer used to be brought up the chances of this dimension's Kiritsugu actually refusing the need of help.

The very scenario was grim to conetmplate, but while both individuals connected to Emiya pondered over this case, Illya perfectly acted as positively innocent as possible about the matter.

"Still, we need to try. Maybe this Kiritsugu is as nice as Dad. And Dad would help us if he was here!"

It wasn't top-grade pep-talking, but considering how lucky the simple girl had been in the last few months, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if she was correct even in this very case.

They finally moved away from their temporary setting, with Illya flying around while Kuro and Shirou followed her by jumping from roofs to roofs. The pattern soon changed when they reached the part of town where there weren't many tall buildings and so they were all forced back on the streets.

Running around these familiar dark roads increased the tanned Archer's uneasiness over what was going to happen once they arrived at their destination.

Is there going to be a Emiya family waiting in there? What if they never settled here in Fuyuki and actually moved out of town much earlier?

The more thoughts came to her mind, the more burdened she felt as they continued silently with their rush.

That was until they finally arrived at the familiar compound and they stopped at the mail box outside.

Emiya.

Yes, they have to be here.

With a smile slowly creeping on her face, Kuro carefully opened the main gates that led to the compound. Lockpicking the mechanism was easy, and soon they were walking inside the building in the hopes of finding refuge in there.

There was silence within the walls of the house, something that was pretty normal considering the late hour they had decided to 'visit'.

Her eyes looked left and right as she checked for anything worth of suspicions. Nothing jumped to her attention and soon the trio wandered off until they ended up entering the… kitchen.

Chloe blinked in surprise when she noticed that the light was on, but while her senses continued to search for anything worth of attention, she failed to notice that there was actually someone waiting in the room.

Three people to be precise.

Tensing up as she noticed the calm-looking Kiritsugu Emiya finishing lighting a cigarette, her eyes fully widened when she noticed that the other two occupants were a battle-ready Sella and Leysritt.

...How?!

Illya eeped a little bit at the standoff while Shirou looked slightly surprised at this scene himself.

"The boundary fields alerted me of your presence when you graced the gates," The Magus Killer explained dully. "I don't know what is going on, or why two of you decided to try and appear like my children, but I think I will just ask about your identities."

There was a pregnant pause at that, with the intruders sharing some looks as they tried to think up about something to resolve this unnerving predicament.

Ultimately, it was Illya that spoke up.

"Pap-_Kiritsugu-san_, I can assure you that we're not here to cause you any harm-"

"Yet you entered my home like criminals, breaking the lock," The dark-haired Emiya pointed out blankly. "I think your position isn't a pleasant one considering all elements and-"

"She is saying the truth, Kiritsugu-san," Chloe decided to intervene, knowing that things were favoring them at all. "While I understand your distress at our sudden intrusion, I can assure that we really are not here to hurt you or your family."

The tanned Einzbern paused to glance at Illya, or rather at her magical stick. "And I know the best way to show you that we're telling the truth."

Kiritsugu blinked as the girl's smile turned at the strange prop.

"Ruby, can you please… bring out a family photo?"

At first there was silence, but then the Kaleidostick wriggled a little bit, huffing left and right.

"**A family photo, Kuro-chan? I guess I can offer it but… can I also give him some cute Illya-chan's photos? I've plenty of her Beast Mode form~!**"

The other Einzbern looked terrified at the prospect of that embarrassing experience being shown to someone else, but Kuro merely sighed. "Just the family photo." _For now._

There was no way in hell that the devious girl was going to miss the chance of teasing her naive counterpart before this version of the Emiya Family.

The picture was carefully placed by the table, leaving Kiritsugu to reach for it and give it a proper look at it.

He froze instantly at the sight, his eyes widening at the scene displayed in there.

It was an old photo that was taken a little after their Kiritsugu had returned back home from his oversea job. They had decided to visit the beach for the occasion, and they had taken a big family photo to remember that situation.

But while the older Emiya was surprised by the presence of so many individuals in there, some he could recognize and some he couldn't, his eyes couldn't peel off from the presence of a single individual that caused his heart to pang painfully.

Irisviel looked so lively and happy. Her smile was so bright and so at ease.

He would've trembled at that display, but he managed to hold back the tears at that absurd picture. If before he had been confused by the intruders' appearances, now he was stomped by the proof he was given.

"Who… Who are you three?"

Kuro nodded slowly at the uneasy question, deciding to be the one to make the introductions.

"I'm Chloe von Einzbern," She started with a careful voice, soon turning to look. "The one dressed like a silly magical girl is Illya von Einzbern-"

The white-haired girl looked flustered at that annoying comment, but the tanned Archer was now looking at the young man behind them.

"And this is Shirou Emiya-..."

The girl stopped for a moment as he noticed that the redhead had his attention diverted elsewhere.

She slowly followed his stare up at the doorstep they have entered from and, standing there, she blinked at a young boy with red hair and amber eyes.

The young Shirou Emiya stared in pure shock at his older counterpart and… Miyu's brother mirrored this very expression back to him.

While the scene had a degree of seriousness and revelation, the two young Einzberns found themselves staring at the 'tinier' Emiya, sharing a single thought.

_**This Shirou-chan is so cute~!**_

* * *

**AN**

**Fuck, this was supposed to be a full-fledged chapter, but I ended up getting distracted and create something that resembles a big Interlude.**

**I know, **_**what's the difference? **_**Words-wise, it's shorter compared to other chapters. Today I got plenty of distractions in the form of me working out seriously.**

**Yes, I've starting some training to get myself back in shape (got a little bit of belly back because of the quarantine and I'm following a careful schedule to not burn anything else in my day.).**

**Still, back on the chapter: This is slowly turning in a Illya-face fest. Miyu does technically count as Miyuverse's Illya considering her role as Lesser Grail and Shirou's Imouto.**

**I think we just need another version and we should have all Illya-face here-**

***A certain Alter Ego peeks over from the corner together with her polar bear***

**Sorry sweetie, I don't think I have logical means to get you to play in the story this early. Maybe later on.**

***Cue Illya-like whine and slow retreat of sad Alter Ego and Polar Bear***

**...That's just so sad…**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Zahiddreux****: I don't think so. No. **

**StayDetermined704****: God of the Bible! This is a Dante from another universe where God exists and he met him personally. Differently from the other Nasuverse Gods, The God of the Bible is actually an entity that represents mystery because of its obscure origins.**

**Sonicman66****: That's post-Prillya Miyu, yes.**

**Xenahort x****: Because Moon Cell doesn't exist in this side of the Nasuverse. There is plenty of chances to built up, but as of now there is only a single individual on the Moon.**


	37. School Days (Part 4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

**ARC 2 – Chapter 4: School Days (4)**

* * *

Shirou stared at… Shirou. The phenomenon persisted for a noticeable amount of time.

One was tall, the other was quite short… but both were looking incredibly surprised of finding each other involved in this circumstance.

This wasn't the most bizarre thing that has happened in their respective lives, but this was a development both hadn't expected to be embroiled into.

The Gamer blinked first out of that shock-induced glance, but his counterpart took a little more than that because of the opportunities behind this odd circumstance.

With the younger of the two finally out of that strange exchange of looks, he finally gave a proper look at this individual – this version of himself from a possible future – and tried to catch as many differences as he could.

The first thing was, of course, that the teen before him was taller and had completely lost all of the baby fat by his face. He looked… refined, _sharpened _by future events that saw him become this 'gritty'.

It was strange to think this at first glance… and yet this Shirou Emiya had something already in display that made the younger redhead worried about what will happen in a couple of years from now.

Surely this 'Shirou' had to be from the future. It was his first thought and, before the lack of proof that detached him from this perspective, this was the absolute reality of things.

**Name: Shirou Emiya**

**Title: The Mended Sword**

**Age: 17**

**Level: 21**

**HP : 4000/4000**

MP : 100/100

The **Observe **offered little understanding over this scene, except for the fact that this Shirou's level was… lower than his own?

And his Mana Points were far lesser than the one at the boy's current disposal.

It was in that moment that he glanced at the two other intruders and-

One was an older looking Illya. It was just a small age increase to his older sister, but she looked taller and-

Another Illya?! This one had a tanned skin, white-rosé hair, and glowing amber eyes. He could remember her presenting herself as… Chloe?

…

_**What's going on?!**_

"I suppose you're… confused," The older Shirou finally muttered, drawing the younger Emiya's attention back on him. "This situation is-"

"Complicated," Kiritsugu interrupted dryly. "Yes, you three have already mentioned this. I think you should elaborate a little more now that you've confirmed that you mean 'no harm'."

The emphasis on the last words was… worrying. But the Magus Killer's adopted son decided against making a stand about this since the situation was indeed messy as it was right now without an explanation.

Chloe continued to stare at the Gamer with a 'curious' look while her counterpart turned to the older Emiya.

"We're from a different dimension, Pa-_Kiritsugu-san_," She looked uncomfortable in addressing her 'father' in such an informal manner. "We're here to recover someone that got lost in this Fuyuki and… we care a lot about her which is why we came a long way to rescue her."

…

"Kiritsugu-sama, if I may… advance my opinion about the situation," Sella interceded with an uneasy tone. "I don't think a picture would be enough to… convince about their intentions."

Illya gave a surprised look at that, not expecting to be pressed on that matter once again… and so quickly.

"W-Well, if I have to say something more..." The girl started with an awkward look on her face. "T-Then I think it's right to say that Sella is the one that does most of the work and… Liz is the one that watches the TV all day!"

Determined, yet nervous. Never in his short life, Shirou had met a curious contradiction as this version of his older sister.

But the comment was spot on, something that both maids recognized with their own reactions. With Sella gawking at the unexpected reply, while Leysritt looked away with her usual impassive look, the action being more than enough to dignify her 'guilt' over the comment.

"Plus, you were the one that told us what to do in case we ended up 'finding', Papa," The tanned Einzbern added with a nod. "You said that you would've been reluctant to believe that we were saying the truth, but then he mentioned one thing to me that I had to say to confirm our legitimacy."

Kiritsugu frowned at this, but allowed this counterpart of his daughter to approach him and reach for his ear. She whispered something that the boy couldn't hear from where he was, but the sudden shock-filled expression replacing the intrigued one in the man's face was enough to cement the fact that it was something serious and undeniable.

"So he told you about-"

"He said that he spent years beating himself over that. But then, with time and peace, he learned that it's better for the memory to not become a burden," The girl mentioned happily. "And that she wouldn't have wanted to be remembered with tears."

There was quiet for a while, with the man digesting what he had just heard and… then he nodded.

"I… see," He commented with a calm hum. "And I suppose your friend, the one you're searching for, has a name."

The other Illya nodded. "Yes, her name is Miyu and she disappeared from our Fuyuki about two days ago."

The young Emiya's eyes widened in realization. "Miyu-san?"

The rest of the room turned at him with mild interest.

"You've seen her?" His older version inquired with interest. "Did you?"

'Why the insistence?' The boy thought confused.

"I mean, she was introduced to me as a friend to Erika-tan," The redhead elaborated. "Julian-kun said that he found her by the park, so she has to be there and-"

"Julian?" The older Shirou pressed on with a sterner voice. "Julian Ainsworth?"

...Why he looked angry?

"Why do you want to… know?"

The older redhead gritted his teeth and it was the 'older' Illya that spoke. "Let's just say that we had trouble with the… Ainsworth."

"How?" Kiritsugu asked in return, drawing the two short Einzberns' attention on him.

"The Ainsworth family was responsible for hijacking the Holy Grail Wars to try and get their wish through," Chloe answered. "I can't spare too many details, but I can say that Shirou-san's uneasiness is warranted, Papa."

"But," The gamer interjected with a frown. "Julian and his family are nice. Are you… planning to hurt them, _Shirou-san_?"

His older version blinked in surprise at the evident threatening tone adopted by the boy.

"I didn't say anything about this but… I would need to check if they-"

"If you're_ planning to harm them, Shirou-san, then I will have to stop you._"

With his eyes wide and the calm situation suddenly escalating, panic drove them both to make drastic decisions.

"Trace on," The taller Shirou muttered, allowing for two familiar-looking swords to appear within his hands' hold.

The Gamer didn't need any verbal input to project two reinforced blades to match up the unpleasant escalation…

The tension grew as the rest of the room prepared to stop both from destroying the kitchen, and before anything dangerous could've been conceived out of that troublesome instance, someone finally decided to step inside.

"Papa, I made a strange dream and-"

Little Illya stopped by the doorstep, her red eyes widening as she noticed that there was a tall 'Oniichan' and two lookalikes that were slightly taller than her.

"Papa, is family visiting?" The naive Einzbern inquired eagerly. "Do I have cousins?"

Kiritsugu looked perplexed and unsure how he was supposed to answer that without shattering her daughter's hopes of a bigger family.

…

"You're… older than Shirou?" The tanned Einzbern inquired with a surprised but oddly calm tone.

Little Illya frowned at this and nodded. "O-Of course, I'm his Oneechan!"

At this proclamation, both counterparts appeared struck by a sudden case of… realization. The heavenly state of enlightenment was just enough to gain a frown not only from the confused Illya-chan, but also the rest of the room.

"Their Shirou is older than them," The young man muttered dryly. "And I think it's awkward when it's brought up."

"Oh? Do we need to bring to the attention how much Miyu is attached to you, Shirou-san~?" Chloe rebuked mirthfully, only to be met with a confused look from the redhead.

"What's wrong with a brother and sister being that close?"

...And now, why did the Gamer felt the need to question his older version's intelligence all so suddenly?

"Also… are you two my cousins?" Little Illya inquired eagerly. "And is he Oniichan's cousin too? Does that mean he is my cousin too?"

"Uh," The older Shirou looked surprised at the sudden pressure and he was certainly unprepared when Illya-chan rushed up to him and started to jump. "Lift me up! You're so tall!"

Looking around for support but finding none by the rest of the room's occupants, the young man couldn't help but comply with the cute demands and thus lifted up the giggling girl.

"You're so tall and-" Her red eyes ended up to look at her counterpart. "You look just like me!"

The older Illya looked nervous at that comparison.

"You know, I hope I grow up to look up like Mama was," The happy Einzbern stated determinedly, ignoring the frown now on her Magical Girl version.

"W-Was?" The girl deflated, maybe realizing just now that someone was actually absent from the… big picture.

Chloe glanced at her with an unsure look, failing to come up with something to cheer her 'happier' version up.

Then she noticed that a certain Kaleidostick had slipped out of her Master's hold and was now hovering over a certain unsuspecting boy.

"**Hmm~,**" The noise of humming drew Shirou to look up and at the Mystic Code. "**Ne, Shirou-tan, do you want to become a Magical Hero of Justice?**"

The young redhead frowned, took off-guard by the sudden query, but swiftly 'saved' as Illya realized just in time what was happening.

"R-Ruby, don't corrupt Shirou!" The Magical Girl stated, coming close enough to hug protectively the confused child and to emphasize her unwillingness for 'things' to happen in this scenario. "He's too young to be tainted by your pranks!"

The Kaleidostick huffed, but nodded at the request flying over to entertain the younger Illya.

"C-Corrupt?" The Gamer inquired, a nervous shiver going down his spine as he noticed how close and warm the embrace felt. "Illya-nee, what do you mean?"

Instead of offering some enlightening explanation, the pink-dressed Einzbern looked… relieved- no, she looked outright happy with his words.

_But I didn't say anything strange… did I?_

Before he had the chance of inquire some more about the situation, Shirou found himself drawn in a deeper hug from the pleased Magical Girl, prompting for one last question.

_**D-Did I just hear the sound of switch being turned on?**_

* * *

Miyu huffed as she unloaded another charged mana burst onto the swift-moving Assassin. The white-haired young girl had managed to keep her busy as she had tried to catch up with the strange anomaly Sapphire had noticed.

The sudden appearance of the strong Servant had delayed any attempt to approach her newest destination, but the 'adopted' Edelfelt was glad that her Magical Sapphire form was enough to keep up with the Heroic Spirit.

Her greatest advantage was that she could fly away to evade any quick rush from her opponent, which meant that there was no mean for her getting hurt in this kind of 'fair fight'.

Green eyes shone dangerously against her dark amber ones, but the furious Servant hardly managed to put the magical girl in a corner. The powerful blast conjured by Sapphire were not only killing it, but also making sure that any healing factor was denied from curing her wounds.

She was winning, and soon she would've had the chance of checking on this anomaly.

But just as her hopes were at the highest, her bliss was cut short by a sudden arrow trying to rush at her from behind. Thanks to a quick alarm raised by Sapphire, Miyu dodged the projectile quickly and… looked at the violet-haired archer shooting heart-shaped arrows at her.

Ignoring the daggers-wielding Assassin, the Magical Girl rushed to eliminate the darkened Archer before she could turn in a genuine problem.

She evaded another arrow, and then another one as she finally zeroed the distance to reach her target. Charging up a full-powered Mana Burst, Miyu slammed Sapphire's upper bit onto her belly, allowing the Kaleidostick to unleash its accumulated power in a scattershot effect.

The decision proved to be effective as the attack quickly shredded through the darkened Servant and destroyed it in the process.

This victory was short-lived as a blast of purple magic forced the girl to conjure a Shield to avoid getting hurt by it. The distraction was enough for Assassin to strike and put the pressure onto Miyu.

Gritting her teeth, Magical Sapphire moved quickly to match up with the sudden swipes of the strong knives in Assassin's hold, managing just barely in repelling the assault.

The exchange was fierce, but Assassin was also unable to stop Sapphire from applying 'slowing' debuffs on her. Eventually Miyu managed to get a killing blow on her opponent, dispelling another of the corrupted Servants.

Just as she started looking around, her body started to slow down into a sudden paralysis. Eyes going wide in shock as she found her stare fixed onto an approaching Servant, this one similar-looking to the Archer she had eliminated earlier on.

A smile adorned her enemy's face as she stood there, looking at the paralyzed Miyu and… the ground started to rumble. Something was rushing at her, _no, it was someone and… he was incredibly big._

White hair trailed down his back and a menacing iron mask covered his visage as the behemoth kept up with his rapid charge. Considering his size and speed, panic started to dramatically increase within the poor magical girl.

But just as she struggled against that sudden restraint, a volley of mana-infused explosions tore right onto the approaching monster. The attack was devastating, and the dark mist that drifted away within the simple dust confirmed the Servant's death.

The plum-haired girl stared at this development in shock, but soon noticed that this was the opening Miyu needed to put an end to this assault.

Once the last Servant was destroyed, her attention turned at the figure that was diving down on the small opening near to where she was. With her guard up and ready to take this possible new enemy, she glanced at the smiling looking man that was regaling her with a happy look.

"Greetings, young lady. I hope that I didn't frighten you with my sudden appearance," The Servant greeted politely. "I hoped to introduce myself either after or even before this much chaos happened but… here we are."

Miyu continued to frown, but surely enough her confusion was starting to pick up at the state the man was presenting himself.

There were large cuts across his clothes, blood pouring out of numerous wounds all over the exposed bits of his bloody and a couple of arrows stuck on his shoulder.

"A-Are you alright?" She blurted out, feeling like this individual was hardly in the proper shape to entertain a fight against her.

"I'm just a little bit… tired. I've been battling for hours now..." He admitted with a shrugged. "Ever since the Wise king Gilgamesh bestowed me with the task of waiting for someone else to 'mind my strange mission', I've been keeping up with the various assaults of dangerous threats to this lovely town."

"You're not one of those corrupted Servants, are you?" The girl pressed on, now interested by such a strange individual.

"I'm indeed not one of those fiends ambushing innocent people," He replied with a nod. "I'm Foreigner-Class, Dante Alighieri and… while I would want to offer a more detailed introduction, you can understand that I might not have the strength to accomplish that-?"

He paused as light-blue energy coaxed his entire body and properly healed him. Even the arrows were pulled out carefully off from his shoulder, fully curing him of any injury Foreigner had on himself.

Once the light simmered down to nothingness, Dante regarded the young girl with a surprised look… before twitching and_ starting to cry._

Miyu frowned at the response for her kindness, kind of shocked by the sudden bawling the man was displaying.

"_S-So kind! Young lady, thank you for your pure soul and mind._"

She frowned at this, quite sure that both claims were false on a single instance. Part of her, in fact, still wondered if Illya would've liked if to celebrate her return she would've allowed the 'Edelfelt' to keep her short-skirted Maid clothes on.

_Aaannd now her cheeks were burning._

"A-And now you're regaling me with humbleness with your embarrassment," The Servant pointed out, his tears coming to a conclusion. "It's- It's so angelic. I'm sure you too have gained the affection of someone that wish to devote their life to you!"

_And hopefully that's Illya- _But then again, she was getting distracted too much right now.

"I-It's alright," Miyu finally admitted with a nod. "You deserved a reward- yes, a reward for helping people."

"But I didn't do this out of a desire, kind lady," He rebuked politely. "I'm but just a humble servant of what is right and holy. I serve a merciful God that wishes to bring peace and safety in all worlds and creations."

She blinked. "A God?"

He nodded, looking up in the sky with a bright smile.

"A God of love, of justice, of peace… the greatest representation of what is just and most beloved for us humans."

The words felt odd to listen to, but maybe it was because she couldn't get a proper grasp of which Deity this Servant was speaking about.

In the end, it was Sapphire that explained.

"**I think he's talking about the Christian God, Miyu-sama.**"

Dante nodded. "That's correct, oh Wise tool of Betterment."

"Dante-san, I don't know how to say this but… I never thought much of religion and-"

"It's alright, my fair lady," He interjected mirthfully. "If you have someone to care for, to love and that brings you utmost happiness, then that's more than enough for the Lord. Be happy, and be peaceful."

...For some strange reason, Miyu felt the need to stay at ease before these words. Something about what she was listening to was… warming up her heart.

What a strange approach to religion, she pondered with a hint of surprise… and relief.

It was strange, but she wasn't going to refute the freedom the man was allowing with the way people lived.

"Still, if it's not asking you too much, fair lady," Foreigner then continued. "May I inquire if you can help me find the person I've been searching for so long?"

She blinked. "I can… try?"

"If you can, please do," He said while nodding. "I'm searching for the young fellow that will bring balance in this peculiar world. You see, while the Lord isn't always present in the entirety of his creation, his prophecy is eternal and undeniable. In the end, the Veltro, the hunter of evildoers, shall appear and shine the light of justice and understanding to the world."

…Does this mean that it happened in her world? Maybe it was… Illya? Or maybe her Oniichan?

"I… I can say for sure but… maybe I know who it could be."

If this dimension is similar to her world and Illya's, then the bringer of stability should either be Shirou-kun or his older sister.

It was in that moment that Miyu's mind reminded her that if she followed Foreigner's request and helped him with this task, she might end up finding out how 'young' Illya looks like.

Something about that possibility made her heart quiver giddily, and that has been ever since little Shirou-kun mentioned that his sister was actually older than him.

Dante's smile widened as he bowed respectfully. "So much kindness and so much helpfulness. My mission has been blessed twice, I can tell!"

Miyu blushed at that indirect compliment, but she allowed a polite smile as she started to lead the man out of the park and right to where the Emiya household was supposed to be.

Hopefully, things were going to not escalate if she approached peacefully and diplomatically.

_**It wasn't in her heart to introduce herself rudely by entering without alerting the occupants of the place she was going to visit after all. Who would be that much silly to do that?**_

* * *

"Old man," Arcueid started dully. "How close are we from the blasted artifact?"

Zelretch sighed, retracting his whole right arm from the chest of one of the Sabers that had picked a brawl with him.

"I would say… close," He mirthfully replied. "And I think it's 145 times you've asked me this, princess."

The blonde huffed, sidestepping as a Lancer pushed forward to plunge its lance onto her, only to get a sudden kick on its helmet sending it flying.

When the Wizard Marshal had mentioned that things were getting this messy, the young Vampire hadn't expected for things to be this **much** complicated.

It wasn't like the opponents between them and the stupid cup were problematic on their own, but the number and the intensity of the assaults were starting to leave a dent on her patience as the more they advanced, the more the fiends would increase with their vehemence.

Anger was bubbling as some actually managed to leave some shallow cuts on her. This shouldn't have been this much of an irritating trip, especially when Zelretch himself had failed to bring up how frustrating this task was meant to be.

Maybe staying shut in his office would've been a 'funnier' experience instead of being forced to deal with this trash. _Maybe she would've been able to get her dress to survive the few cuts it was receiving too __**if she had been careful enough to not allow the mongrels to get too close to her.**_

Was she sounding a little bit too angry? Possibly.

Did she care at all if she displayed her emotions so eagerly before hordes of mindless enemies? Not truly.

The real issue was that Zelretch had taken the temporary hobby of pestering her about needing a 'time out pause' to get her mind sorted out.

Not the brightest thing to say to someone that was clearly having a mental breakdown over the annoying task at hand, but Arcueid could tell that the Kaleidoscope was just having a blast throwing shades at her and… that was irritating her to a boiling point.

Actually, maybe she should start _erasing _these easy targets to soothe her growing bloodthirst. Or need for murder.

Both were quite close to one another, but then again she wasn't feeling thirsty just yet, and she was more angry than in need of the delicious red life nectar.

She had nothing to check her hair on, not a single special mirror, but the blonde was quite sure that she had the worst of hairstyle because of the cave's unpleasant humidity.

This entire trip was… a terrible mistake.

One that she was surely going to remember so that she had a reason to come back at the smug-looking Wizard Marshal.

The old man wasn't anywhere slow compared to her quick-paced killing spree, but he was being more logical and less cocky about it compared to the younger vampire.

Age was known to bring wisdom to those that lived through the years by sharpening their skill against real targets. And Arcueid was blessed with years of relative peace in her blissful sleep instead of chances to heighten her current understanding of this world's threats.

Maybe she should've done set some specific wake up sessions which could've been used to broaden her understanding of the growing society. And yet she had preferred her 'long-term napping' to some legitimate culture shock.

"Do you think that Servants dream of Divine Sheep when they die?"

The girl actually paused and gave a serious look at Zelretch. "What?"

The old man sighed with a sad look.

"Nothing."

What was that? Why was he being so difficult to understand?

Wisdom and senility were impressively enough wrapping well in Zelretch's psyche.

Sometimes she genuinely doubted that the elder was actually interested in the action, merely displaying interest in being indirectly involved in fights against threats.

Maybe it was the time gaining on him? Or maybe the haunting memories of his fight against her ancestor had led to some unwillingness to actually seek the blood-spilling.

Many were the reasons that could've led such a brilliant warrior to actually abandon any chances to be in the first lines of a battle for Humanity's sake.

And right now, as Arcueid paid close attention to Zelretch's actions, she could tell that there was no passion in his attack. No emotion.

She had seen people being disheartened by battling others, but this just felt more like a bored approach at life. It was odd and yet… humanizing of the man that had conquered the Crimson Moon.

_**The beautiful moonlit garden was shining a bright white. Giving a pleasant but unnatural life at the flowers that made it whole. Arcueid was mesmerized by the beauty, a sign of her noble house's strong standing… but also a sign of decline from the days when war was part of their bloodline.**_

_**He was there, standing silently as he watched over her actions.**_

_**Then she looked up at the bizarre stranger and she pondered over the sight. The man had a polite smile, one that exuded kindness and friendliness.**_

_**But also a sense of sadness. It sounded so… impolite. Nobody should be sad before the purity of this garden of pristine silver and peace.**_

_**And yet there wasn't much to say… except staring and-**_

Arcueid dropped to her knees, dodging in time a long-sword from cleaving her in half. Snarling, the blonde headbutted the sudden attacker and shred him with a single punch at its head.

"Something caught your attention?"

She didn't reply, merely bracing as they finally vaulted over the last obstacle before their destination.

But none of her mental experience could prepare her from the disgusting sight she was bestowed with.

The entire opening in the mountain was dripping with the taint created by Chaos itself. It felt so dreadful to be standing so close to the miasma and the corruption.

Something about the scene just made her felt horrified about the spread of the tumorous threat.

The leyline, a combination of the three major ones in Fuyuki, was pulsing with life and energy, all of it being siphoned into the large dark-colored chalice. Red cracks were visible all over its surface, and Arcueid didn't require any verbal depiction to understand it was the main source of the trouble.

Then her red-eyed stare floated to the single individual that was responsible for the energy-channeling operation happening in that natural chamber.

She knelt quietly, her legs accumulating strength and momentum. Soon the blonde was flying towards her prime target, ignoring Zelretch's words of waiting.

There was no reason to wait, she couldn't perceive anything that could poise a threat to either her or the Wizard Marshal.

But just as she proceeded swiftly in her flight, her sight noticed a curious blur jumping off the ground, putting itself between her and her target.

The figure was wearing a red half-jacket over her blue kimono. Her hair were kept short, enough to offer a clear sight over her-

**DEATH. Arcueid felt DEATH suddenly shock her in a stunned and mesmerized look as her momentum was ruined mid-air.**

The obstacle started to move her tiny knife, confusion building up as she saw- something crash onto her and punch her toward the ground.

A strange vibration-like noise tore through the terrifying silence and blood exploded. It wasn't hers.

Arcueid rolled for a while once she reached the rocky floor, but she got a glimpse of the severely wounded Zelretch landing close to where she was.

Fear. She tasted fear in the worst of the ways possible.

The figure finally descend on the ground, her knife aimed at her but… the vampire was too far from the range. Her mind could tell, but there wasn't any logic with that supposition.

Only primal instinct.

"My, oh my~," The being responsible for the siphoning stated as she turned to finally glance at the intruders. "To think that the Wizard Marshal would come here with the Tsukihime herself… and to think that he would waste his life to protect such a wasteful brat. Truly, truly shameful."

The elder trembled, but managed to stand up. "Hehe, look at you, already taunting when you're not in a position to talk."

"But really? I'm not the one closest to death, Kaleidoscope," The white-haired woman pointed out. "Maybe the fleeting years eroded your common sense, Kischur?"

"Only barely," He admitted with a bloody grin. "But I can really assure you that you still don't match."

"Such an arrogance," The mysterious woman mentioned. "Maybe I should go ahead and try to summon Brunestud. Maybe that would be _enough _to sate your boredom, silly fool?"

The air grew tense and difficult to breath after this query.

"Try it, Avenger," Zelretch said as his grin grew madder and furious. "I will offer you a hastened death than the one planned by the World's own desires."

Instead of cowing under that much pressure, the woman smirked. "If only the Spirit itself wasn't sealed, I would've tried. A pity that you didn't kill her when you could," She stated brazenly. "But between liars, I have to ask: how do you feel after being subjected to the Mystic Eyes of Death?"

He sighed. "Peachy, but I guess it could be better."

"You could be dead-"

"So would you if my little assistant wasn't that much impatient."

Arcueid was already nursing her wounded pride after that encounter. The comment didn't help her in that. Not at all.

"Pity then for both. But for now, let's battle the greatest of fights and-"

"Nope," The Wizard Marshal said, mana surrounding both him and the younger Vampire. "This now beyond my current capacity to work. I will leave it to others."

"As if I would let you-"

The mana grew brighter and… both were gone.

…

…

"_**That fucking son of a-!"**_

* * *

**AN**

**Had to delay the update by one day. I ended up working myself too much over my RL schedule and ended up free to write on an unholy hours. **

**At least Illya-tan and Miyu got things easy and happy.**

**Also… 1600 followers in FFN passed already. I feel eternal gratitude for the readers of this story. It warms my heart that there are so many of you and- I might try to make something special at 2000.**

**Something something, streaming writing, something something.**

**Nothing too certain about this as I never streamed.**

…

**Yeah, I never streamed before. There's not a 'but', nor a 'butt' in it.**

**Still, I will give it a shot.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Guiltyr2****: This is post-Prillya altogether. The manga is actually over, so we're going after that segment.**

**Dimidh****: I will ask Justeaze or Merlin to broaden their interest in music and put it in the next Game Update.**

**Yukkikage666****: Thing is that the Prillya Manga did expand on Julian's true self. The one we all saw in the Anime seasons was someone using his body. Darius Ainsworth pulled a Zouken to manipulate Julian to become his puppet (through Kariya method of using Pandora's plight to make him malleable to influence). In fact, there's lots of backstory for most of the Ainsworth family in the last arcs of the Manga.**

**Hekkasi****: Maybe for Arc 3 or 4, who knows.**


End file.
